Samantha Full of Grace
by AWildeRomantic
Summary: Being stranded for months on a desert planet changes the way the see life, and the way they see each other. SamJack
1. Water, Poisoned Oasis

A/N – I don't really know where I got the idea for this one…heck I don't even know _what _my idea for this one is. All I know is that it'll be something profound about Sam and Jack. And please leave reviews…reviews are my gold…reviews tell me you care :P

* * *

Chapter 1: Water, Poisoned Oasis

When she couldn't hold her breath any longer, Sam sat up, the water cascading off her face. Taking in lungfuls of air, she put one hand on the edge of the tub. The bubbles that floated on the surface of the water were almost completely gone and she could feel goose bumps rising on her skin.

She wrapped her bathrobe around her and stared at herself in the mirror, seeing the change, seeing the tiredness. The rain outside was falling heavier and she just wanted to lay back, to curl up on the couch and forget about everything. But she had a mission tomorrow and had to think about that, had to worry about that. Had no time to lay back and relax.

Briefing tomorrow. Oh-500 hours.

The toothpaste was minty fresh and the water cold on the inside of her cheeks. Cupping both hands beneath the faucet she let them fill with water, then opened them, watching the liquid roll down the drain. Shut off the knob, step into the hall. Walk to the room.

In the dark she found her pajamas and then took off her robe, letting it pool around her feet and staring at her silhouette in the mirror. The years of being in the Air Force had done her good. Sam smiled to herself, then pulled on her clothes and slipped into bed, surrounding herself with the blankets and the velvet darkness.

* * *

"_P4X-133 is a primarily desert planet. There is life on it, but we don't know where. It's your job to find that life."_

Sam changed into her desert camo gear, frowning a little as she methodically fastened each button, tied each tie and stuck each part of Velcro together. None of the team spoke as they went to the armory to get their weapons. It was 0600 and they were tired. But if they didn't leave now, they'd arrive on the planet in complete darkness.

And darkness could mean danger.

"_Be careful, be alert, and God speed."_

Some of the technicians had been up all night and Sam could see it in their faces as the gate dialed. Next to her, Jack heaved a yawn, covering his mouth with one hand. He grinned at her sleepily.

"Ready for this, Carter?"

"Always."

Jack chuckled, turning to face the gate and watching unflinching as the great blue and white vortex blew outwards towards them. "Big sandbox. Should be fun. I just hope Danny-boy remembered the sunscreen."

The air hit their faces the moment they stepped out of the wormhole, and Sam could tell immediately that this wasn't like any other planet they'd been to. The gate stood on top of a huge, flat rock, hundreds of yards in diameter. Deep fissures and holes in the rock made standing pools of water and there were even what looked like the remains of habitation.

Beyond that, the desert. The dunes, the sands, the winds.

"It looks like they left this place for some reason." Daniel said a little while later, after poking around in the ruins. "There aren't any remains of basic household items. No pots or anything. Like they…just packed up or something…"

"Why would they leave?" Jack asked, squinting even behind his sunglasses as he looked out at the desert. "This seems like the only place with water…"

Teal'c was walking the perimeter of the huge rock, alert even though they could see for miles around them. Sam went to stand on the northern most edge of the rock, staring out across the desert, the dunes, the sands and through the wind. Along the horizon she could see faint grey shapes but couldn't tell if they were mountains or storm clouds.

The wind picked up and brought with it a metallic, acrid scent that caused Daniel and Sam to cough a few times.

Jack was kneeling by one of the pools, so deep the water looked black. "It's coming from the water."

Sam was at his side in a minute, taking out a small test tube and scooping up a sample of the water. Out of her pack then, she pulled a small electronic probe and dipped the end into the vial of water, watching the readouts on the small screen.

"It's poisoned." She reported. "Not enough to be fatal, but you'd get sick if you drank too much."

"Well that would explain why the people left." Jack stood again and the sun shone off his hair. Daniel was sitting off to the side with some things he'd found in one of the houses, some remains, some clues. Sam emptied the vial of water back into the pool and watched the ripples over the surface then turned to watch Daniel.

"I want to find them." Daniel said.

Jack turned and his expression was unreadable behind his sunglasses. "Which way did they go? We can't find them if we haven't got any clue as to where they went."

"West, probably. There's something on this tablet I found about West being the way of water and if they're looking for water…"

"West it is then." Jack turned in a slow circle, clearly wondering silently exactly which way was west.

Daniel pointed to the direction that the sun was beginning to head. His reasoning was that if the people had originated on Earth, their concept of West would be where the sun set. And that would be where they were headed.

The first step off the rock was a change and Sam felt her boot sink into the sand. Wind caused the tiny particles to rush in whirlwinds around her feet and as SG-1 moved their tracks vanished only moments after their feet left them. The winds were getting stronger.

It was only when the Stargate was starting to become only a faint shape behind them that the thirst started to set in and Sam remembered why she hated desert planets so much. They had brought lots of water with them, but if they didn't find another un-poisoned oasis soon they might have to turn back.

Their shadows grew longer and the light dimmer, and Sam took up position in the front with Jack.

"Having fun yet, Carter?" there was humor in his tone.

"No." there was none in hers.

Jack removed his cap to run his fingers through his hair and fan himself with it. "How've you been holding up?" he twirled the cap off his canteen to take a long sip.

She knew what he was asking, not just about her but about Cassie too and their whole lives that had been turned upside down only a few months ago.

"We've been…getting better. Things have been getting better."

The water canteen got shoved in her direction and it was only then that Sam realized how dry her lips were, how dry her mouth was.

But it was getting colder and the sand was almost stinging their skin as it got blown at them by the winds. Sam looked around and saw only flat land, only sand as far as the eye could see with a few dunes here and there stretching up towards the darkening blue sky.

"Maybe we should set up camp, sir."

In the night shadow of one of the dunes they found some wood that was so dry Sam was surprised the sunlight hadn't set it on fire. They set up the camp in the crook of two dunes, with two tents and a fire that kept some of the on setting chill at bay.

A dry heat was often better than a wet one, more bearable, but a dry cold was something Sam hadn't really thought about, and now it was seeping into her bones.

"Funny things, deserts," Jack muttered as he poked at the fire with a long stick. "Never really liked them. To goddamn hot in the day and to goddamn cold in the night."

Daniel took the first watch and Teal'c would take the second, meaning Sam and Jack would have a few hours unbroken sleep, if they were lucky. Jack didn't seem to be at ease as they lay in their tent, curled up inside regulation sleeping bags.

Jack whispered that he didn't like the sound of sand blowing around too much. When he'd been a POW that's all he'd heard at night through the tiny window of his cell; the sound of sand. Sam was surprised that he'd admitted this, he rarely admitted anything, especially fears.

She reached out to lightly touch his hand in the darkness, comfortingly, both of them smiling slightly. She remembered the way he tended to hug her when she was upset and only wished that she could somehow return the favor…

* * *

Loath as she was to leave her sleeping bag, Sam dutifully took third watch. The sky was crisp and black and she spent some time sitting against the side of the sand dune and staring up at the heavens, trying to pick out constellations that she recognized from the stargate, or to make up a few of her own.

Shivering, she held her hands out over the dying embers of the fire, then took a sip of water from the canteen at her side, taking only as much as was necessary and no more. They had to be careful.

There was a noise and Sam was alert before she even realized she was. But it was only a small mouse like creature with wide feet and short fur, a long tale that had a paddle like end. And ears that seemed almost disproportionately large. It came up daringly to her and peered at her with wide black eyes, like it wanted something.

Curiously Sam poured some water into the lid of her canteen and held the lid out to the creature. But it came no closer. She replaced the water and shifted, stretching her legs out in front of her. The creature jumped back a little at the sudden movement, then hopped over to her boot, sniffing at the sole, then climbing up so it was perched on her toes.

Sam laughed and the small creature scurried away into the night.

Jack came a few hours later, and the sky was still giving no sign of lightening. Sam got to her feet and brushed the sand off her fatigues, then was surprised as Jack took her hands between his.

"You're freezing, Carter." He admonished, rubbing her hands a little. "Get back in the sleeping bag."

"Yes sir." Sam said, smirking a little. They looked down at their hands and wondered if this was crossing the line, or just walking it. Jack released her hands, and she walked back to sleep.

* * *

The next day when they were walking they found another one of the strange outcroppings of flat rock that provided a break from the sands. Running down the middle of the long piece of rock was a stream, clear from where it bubbled up out of the sands.

"How is this even possible?" Jack wondered aloud, sounding almost annoyed at the fact that this stream was existing where it shouldn't. He still filled his canteens from it, however.

"No idea." Daniel was running his fingers over the small plants that sprouted up near the stream's source, some small, stubbly grass.

There were signs that people had stopped here, some garbage, a few earthenware cups laying where they'd fallen to the bottom of the stream. SG-1 traveled on as the not unbearable dry heat of the day started once again.

"O'Neill." Teal'c was coming down from the top of one of the sand dunes, and he handed Jack the pair of binoculars he'd been using. "I can see shapes far on the horizon that I believe to be trees."

"How far?"

"Perhaps another day's journey."

Jack looked to Sam and Daniel, seeking confirmation. They nodded, it would be worth it to find these people, they supposed, they hoped. They'd traveled this far, why not walk a little farther?


	2. Air, Thunder Invisible

Chapter 2: Air, Thunder Invisible

The sun was high in the sky and they were drawing closer to the dark shapes on the horizon when their radios crackled to life. Hammond's voice inquired as to how things were going and Daniel told him they needed a little more time to try and locate the people, but they were on their trail.

The winds were dying down and leaving, taking with them any relief from the head of the desert that was now creeping down the back of Sam's neck, trickling with the tiny beads of sweat and making her wish they'd find another oasis soon.

"Lets hope those _are_ trees that Teal'c saw," Jack said, wiping the back of his wrist over his forehead for the fifth time. "That would mean water…"

"And maybe the people…" Daniel squinted as they mounted a ridge of a dune and looked down towards yet another flat stretch of sand. Beyond that was a row of dark, thin shapes that stretched up towards the sky.

The sun was already starting on its decent as they began to climb down the other face of the dune. Sam kept her eyes on the sand slipping around her feet, pulling her along and threatening to trip her at the same time. One miscalculated step later and suddenly she was falling forward. Thinking Jack was at her side she reached out, but her hand closed on thin air and she stumbled, going down face first into the hot sands.

A strong hand pulled her up and Teal'c righted her, dusting sand off her pack before moving on, silent as usual.

Sam stood for a moment longer, dusting herself off. The wind picked up from her left and Sam looked down to see a cloud of shimmers falling from her clothing, sand grains catching the sunlight and wind all in one tiny particle and coming out looking like fairy dust.

"Carter!" Jack was already at the bottom of the dune, but he stopped and turned when he realized she wasn't.

For a second he froze, the wind blowing, time standing still and Daniel and Teal'c seeming to vanish in the landscape behind him. Sam, unaware, brushed her hands down her chest and another cascade of sand fell from the folds in her clothing, swirling in a shining cloud around her as the sunlight reflected and set her hair aglow.

On the wind also blew a thousand scents; the acrid sting of poisoned water and some spice that was unidentifiable and yet more wonderful than anything else.

Sam took another step, now half running and half sliding down the side of the dune towards him. Jack caught her hand to steady her as she reached the bottom, ignoring the impatient looks from Daniel and Teal'c who were ready to keep moving.

As they continued walking the wind blew the top layer of sand along with them, so looking down at their feet Sam thought it looked like they were all standing still and being carried along by some thick golden fog.

When they finally reached the tall shapes the sun was almost gone, and shadows stretched long across the rushing sands.

"Son of a –!" Jack pulled his cap off in frustration and threw it into the sand, turning to Teal'c. "_These_ are your trees?!"

"They appear to be rocks, O'Neill."

"Yeah, that's the point. They aren't trees!"

"Sir!"

"What?!" Jack spun around.

Sam was running her hand slowly over a darker streak through the rock face, her eyes wide.

"What is it, Carter?!" Jack said again, walking over to her.

"Naquadah, sir, in the rocks. Veins of Naquadah."

There was a moment of silent confusion and questioning as everyone gathered around where Sam was standing, peering at the dark streak in the rock.

"You sure?" Daniel asked.

Jack let out a low growl, barely audible over the howling of the wind in the rocks. "That's it. We're turning around. Where there's naquadah there's a snake head, and I'm not in the mood for-"

"O'Neill if there was a goa'uld they would undoubtedly have set up a mining operation."

"Teal'c's right," Daniel said, shivering as the wind blew colder. "They wouldn't just leave raw veins of it out in the open. Jack, I think we really should find the people that live here…what if they have a way of holding the goa'uld back?"

Jack took a long moment brushing sand off his sleeve, then looked at all of them in turn. "How do we even know we're going the right way?"

"Look at this." Daniel pointed towards something that lay at the base of one of the tall spires.

It had once been a carriage, large, made of wood, with room to carry a small household. Now it lay turned over on one side, two wheels sticking up and turning slowly. Daniel rushed over and checked inside it, finding only a few scraps of fabric. Something about the scene was so finite that it sent a chill down Sam's spine.

Daniel straightened up, brushing his hair out of his face as the wind blew it around. "Please, Jack. This could be important. At the very least we'd get some naquadah out of it."

Jack growled and shook his head, walking further into the shelter of the rocks.

* * *

Sand dunes replaced with rocks, the sound of sand being blown around replaced by the eerie howling of the wind.

"Rock to sand and wind stays the same…" Daniel murmured, poking at the fire with a stick and sniffling loudly. They'd broken apart the carriage, using it's planks for fuel for lack of anything else in the desolate wasteland.

Jack scowled at him. "What the hell are you on about? And what's with the sniffling?"

"Don't feel to good."

Sam stood, pulling her jacket tighter around her as she left the circle of the fire and walked over to where Teal'c stood guard at the mouth to the path through the rocks. On either side the blackish grey shapes towered menacingly, with only a faint ribbon of star studded sky visible just above her head.

Teal'c stared out at the desert, gripping his staff weapon in one hand and seeming ill at ease. He was almost surprised when Sam joined him.

"Major Carter." The jaffa nodded his head in greeting.

The wind was freezing now that the sun was down, and it whipped the sand grains at Sam's face, making her turn slightly, blinking them out of her eyes. Here out by the edge it was stronger and by far no quieter.

"Can you hear something?" Sam asked, ears straining past the sounds of Jack and Daniel talking quietly by the fire.

"I hear the wind."

"Past the wind."

It was carried on the sound of the wind, a sound from deep within the rocks and far away. The growling of some monstrous creature, as though it was observing them, gauging when to attack. And yet it was constant, never louder, never quieter.

"I do not believe we are in any danger." Teal'c rumbled, and abruptly the distant growling ceased. "It would be wise for you to try and get some rest, Major Carter."

Sam nodded and headed back for the fire, to find Daniel already gone into his tent and Jack still prodding the dying embers.

"Everything ok?" Jack asked.

Sam nodded, sitting next to him. "I could hear something out there…this growling…but Teal'c said we're not in any danger."

"He would know. But still, let's be extra alert while on watch. I don't need any bloodthirsty lions or tigers or bears sneaking up on us. Is T taking the first watch?"

"I guess so." The sound of the zipper of the tent cut through the howling of the wind. It was slightly quieter inside the canvas walls, and slightly warmer and less lonely when Jack came in as well, grumbling about how little sleep he'd be getting that night.

"Now _I _keep thinking I hear something growling out there…" Jack said, sliding into his sleeping bag. "But I can't tell if it's just the wind…or something else…"

"Don't worry, sir," Sam said, laying down and only barely stifling a grin. "If any lions or tigers or bears come, I'll protect you."

Jack chuckled and through the darkness behind Sam's eyelids she could hear him murmur his thanks, then lay there tossing and turning. Rock wasn't as comfortable as sand, not as soft or form taking.

Sam didn't understand why through her half sleep clogged brain, but with one ear on the ground the growling was far more audible. Try as she might to convince herself it was nothing to worry about, she kept one hand on her P90, always ready, always prepared to attack. She knew as well, from the pattern of his breath that her commanding officer wasn't having any more success at sleep than she was.

The watch changed and Sam spent a tense hour leaning against the rock face, alert, eyes straining against the darkness for a flash of fur or eyes, any clue that something was out there. Finally she was able to go to the other tent and spend five minutes waking up a groggy Daniel before returning to her own tent.

Jack was still awake.

"It's two in the morning," Sam mumbled, kneeling and wrapping her sleeping bag around her.

"Don't I know it."

The wind rushed with sudden gale force through the rocks, and the walls of the tent leapt suddenly inward. Startled, Sam jumped, but Jack lightly caught her arm.

" 'S ok." He said reassuringly. "Just the wind."

Sam looked up at him in the dark, in the faint glow from the alien moon that hung in the sky. Jack gave her shoulder a squeeze, but strangely didn't let go. Sam scooted closer, more daringly.

"What makes us think these people will even be friendly when we meet them?" Jack asked, scowling slightly. "If they've kept any goa'uld away they might be pretty nasty."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Huh. Good point."

* * *

Daniel was sick the next morning, fully sick.

"He was fine last night!" Jack argued as Sam sat next to Daniel while he dry wretched, clutching his stomach.

"No…" Daniel said weakly, looking up. Sam patted his back.

Jack scratched his head and put his cap back on. "Guess we'll have to head back now." Sam noted the lack of disappointment in his voice.

"No." Daniel hung onto Sam's shoulder for support as they stood. "Jack…you guys go on. I'll wait for you here…this is important…I just know it…"

"Daniel Jackson, I do not believe that is a wise plan." Teal'c said, reaching out to take Daniel's arm and help Sam support him.

"Teal'c's right, Danny-boy." Jack agreed. "We're not just going to let you sit here."

"B-but I'll slow you down."

"No, we're taking you back to the SGC. You're sick, you'll need to be taken care of." Jack sighed heavily, making a face as he thought. "I guess we could take you and come back…"

"And waste all this time?" Daniel stared at him, blue eyes watering. He let out an all-mighty sneeze. "Jack-!"

"Danny, there's no point in us going on without you! What if they speak another language? One other than English?"

"They speak English. There was writing on the walls back by the gate…trust me."

"Ok. Fine. They speak English." Jack was sounding more and more irritated by the second, and the rising temperature as the sun came up wasn't helping. "Do you have a plan that doesn't involve us leaving you behind? . . . Danny?. . .Daniel?"

But Daniel had slumped into an unconscious daze, supported by Teal'c. Jack swore under his breath.

"O'Neill, I will take Daniel Jackson back, then return to meet you." Teal'c said, scooping up Daniel's limp form.

Jack looked at Sam, then back to Teal'c and Daniel, then back the direction they had come. Finally he gave a resigned shrug. "Fine. T, take him back as quick as you can. Carter, give 'em one of the extra med kits. It's a two day journey back to the gate."

"I can make it in less." Teal'c said as Sam stuck an extra pack of medical supplies into his backpack.

"Good luck. Tell Hammond we'll be back as soon as we can."

Teal'c bowed.

"Send a UAV through when you get back," Sam suggested. "Make contact with us, maybe we'll have found something by then."

Another bow, then Teal'c was walking quickly back in the direction they had come, still carrying Daniel. Jack turned slowly towards Sam, chuckling as the wind blew her hair around.

"Ready to go?"

She nodded.

They followed a path through the rocks, occasionally looking up towards the sky just to remind themselves that it was there. Other paths branched off, leading in other directions through the fissures and cracks of the rocks. Sam paused at one, staring down it. She could hear the growling again, louder this time, and could swear she could feel it in the ground. Then Jack grabbed her by the back of her jacket, tugging her forward.

"Carter, come on, lets not waste time."

They came out of the shadows of the rocks near mid-morning. Stepping out into the already blazing sun, Sam shielded her eyes with one hand while Jack snapped his sunglasses on. The heat was already growing and they both shoved their jackets back into the packs before taking the first steps back out into the sands. Sam sighed as her boots sank in a little.

"Well...here we go…more sand…" Jack said, then smirked at Sam. "Bet you're wishing you were the one taking Danny-boy back, now, huh?"

"Oh yeah." Sam smirked back, and they started walking, getting farther and farther away from the rocks, from the howling and growling, and closer to the answers they sought.


	3. Aether, Sand and Sky

Chapter 3: Aether; Sand and Sky

"How're you doing?"

Sam lifted her eyes from the ground. "Huh?"

"How're you doing, Carter?" Jack asked again, breaking the silence that had been with them for the past couple hours.

"With what, sir?"

"Life." Jack shrugged.

"I think you already asked me that, sir." Truth was she honestly didn't want to talk about it any more. She was tired of talking, tired of explaining to people how it felt to lose your best friend and one of the few other women you work with…Sick of telling people what it was like to wake up every other night and find Cassie crying for Janet.

She stopped for a moment, using the canteen as an excuse as she took a long drink from it. Jack paused as well, turning.

"Carter, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to upset you or anything…"

Sam shook her head. "No, sir, you of all people have the least to feel sorry about. You were there when I needed it, thank you."

"Any time."

They lapsed into silence again, and Sam continued walking, head down, trying to find patterns in the swirling sands. She looked up, bored with the same brown color. Above her the sky was filled with wisps of clouds that strangely resembled the sands.

"Wonder if they've got hockey on this planet…" Jack mused.

Sam looked at him, raising her eyebrows from behind her sunglasses. Jack grinned cheekily.

"I don't think so either."

* * *

They stopped around midday at the base of yet another dune. While Jack sat down to eat, Sam climbed the dune with a pair of binoculars. She lay on her stomach at the ridge, staring out and willing herself to see something other than sand.

She lifted the binoculars to her eyes. "Sir!"

Jack was at her side in a moment, grabbing the binoculars away from her. "What? What'd you…oh hey look't that."

Barely visible on the horizon was something, just discernable from the dunes, something moving.

"You think that's them?" Jack asked, turning to Sam and slinging his pack on.

"Let's hope so."

They hurried down the other side of the dune, keeping their eyes on the dark mass. It got closer and closer, though the distance was still far. After a little while, when the mass had become obviously a caravan of some sort, two objects separated and came towards Jack and Sam.

Jack was ready for a confrontation, his hands on his P90, tense, ready to fight. But the two people approaching them on the backs of animals halfway between camels and horses showed no signs of attack. They stopped afew feet from Sam and Jack, dismounting and smiling pleasantly. A man and woman, neither younger than 60, with weather tanned skin and a healthy glow about them.

"Greetings, strangers," the man said. "I am Alal and this is my wife Thea. We are the leaders of this tribe."

"Uh…hi." Jack cautiously released his grip on his gun. "I'm Col. Jack O'Neill and this is Major Samantha Carter. We're…explorers."

Thea smiled at them. "I hope you have not been traveling long on your own?"

"Three days," Sam said. "We came from the Stargate." She made a large circular gesture in the air and it seemed to get the point across because Alal nodded.

"Yes, we know where that is. We used to have a settlement around it, but the water was poisoned during one of the Shiftings."

"The Shiftings?"

As though in answer to Sam's question a sudden low growling echoed across the sand, the same growling they had heard in the rocks. This time it was all around them however, and was accompanied by tremors that ran under their feet and caused the sands to shift back towards the rocks. Jack fell to his knees, grabbing Sam by the arm to keep himself somewhat steady. The animals that Alal and Thea had been riding made upset groaning noises and pawed at the ground, trying to back away but Alal held tight to their reigns.

"They happen at certain points during the year," Thea explained. "We do not understand what causes them, just that they happen. It is a small price to pay for our freedom."

Jack got back to his feet, trying his best not to look embarrassed. "Freedom? From what?"

"We would be more than happy to tell you our story if you would accompany us back to the camp." Alal said. He eyed their weapons cautiously. "Assuming you won't breach our hospitality and attack us."

"Of course not," Sam assured him. "It's just sometimes we've been to planets with hostile life forms…we have to defend ourselves."

It was odd, but neither Alal nor Thea seemed surprised by the idea of them traveling to other planets. The couple merely nodded, agreeing with Sam's explanation.

The camp reminded Sam of some sort of gypsy caravan. There were many families, each one seeming to live out of a large covered carriage pulled by one or two of the strange camel/horse creatures. There were a few brightly colored tents scattered between the carriages, children ran across the sands, chasing small dogs or carrying water back from the well that the camp was grouped around.

"Reminds me of Abydos, a bit." Jack murmured. " 'cept more colorful."

People smiled and waved at them as they followed Alal and Thea through the camp to a large tent on the far side. Inside they sat on soft cushions and Alal brought them water and some intriguing looking fruit that Sam was eager to try, but Jack just turned his nose up at.

"So you were saying…?" Jack said, sticking his legs out in front of him.

"Ah yes." Thea sat gracefully, smoothing her hands over the light colored robes she was wearing. "Aeons ago our people served a god who's name has been lost in time. He made them work and die to worship him, and soon it grew to be too much. They escaped through the Chaapa'ai, your Stargate, and traveled from planet to planet until they found this one. For a year our ancesters wandered the desert, until they finally came upon a great oasis and there they founded the city of Irem. From Irem, our people have populated many smaller cities."

"And the god," Jack said. "He never came looking for you?"

"He was a false god," Alal scoffed, scowling. "All of his kind are. Perhaps you have heard of them…the goa'uld?"

Sam nodded, intrigued by how much these people seemed to know. "Yeah…we've been spending the past few years helping to fight the goa'uld."

"Then you are friends of ours indeed." Alal said, bowing slightly.

"But didn't come looking for you?" Jack repeated.

"No." Thea shook her head. "We don't know why, but no goa'uld has set foot on this planet. Perhaps they are afraid of the many dangers here."

"If it's so dangerous how come you guys live here?"

Alal and Thea exchanged a knowing smile, one of those silent communications that those who have been married for a long time seem to be able to share. Thea spoke. "We live in harmony with the desert, Colonel. Those of us who wander the sands follow the basic principles of unity and balance. Everything has its balance, once you find that, you can live in safe harmony with anything in the universe."

Alal turned to them curiously. "So what has brought you out to our nearly forgotten planet?"

"Like we said, we're explorers." Sam said. "We go to other planets and try to meet other races, become allies with them. We could tell there was life on this planet, and just wanted to find out if you could help our fight against the goa'uld."

"Ah." Thea smiled sadly. "Well, I'm sorry that it isn't anything specific we are doing to keep tehm at bay, or we would tell you. But you may count us among your friends and allies, for we will gladly befriend any enemy of the false gods."

"Great." Jack stuck his cap back on his head. "We'll be sure to pass along the good news to our people, but I think Carter and I should really be heading back now. We've got a long trip ahead of us."

Alal frowned, getting to his feet as Jack and Sam did. "You're returning to the Stargate?"

"Yeah."

"Through the rocks?"

"That's the only way." Jack tilted his head a little to one side, frowning. "Why? Is there a problem?"

"You will not be able to reach it. The rocks can only be passed during the shifting times."

Sam scowled a little as well. "What do you mean?"

"Many of us have tried, on many occasions, to pass the rocks outside of the shifting times," Thea said, standing and placing a hand on her husband's arm. "It does not work. You will find yourself exiting on the same side that you entered."

Jack shot Sam a skeptical look. "How?"

"I do not know." Thea shook her head. "But if you do not believe us, take one of the Thul – the animals pulling our wagons – and ride back to the rocks. The Shifting will be over by the time you reach them and you will see that we speak the truth."

"How long will it take?" Jack asked.

"From here to the rocks on Thul back…" Alal thought a moment. "You can make it in an hour if you make the beast run."

"Right." Jack adjusted his cap. "Carter, you hang out here for a while, I'll be back in a couple hours. I'll keep in radio contact."

"Yes, sir." Sam nodded, then watched as Jack left with Alal.

Thea put a hand on Sam's back. "Come, Samantha, you must be hungry and I would love to hear stories of your people…"

* * *

By the time Jack had returned the sky was dark and the people of the camp were lighting fires and cooking dinner. Sam had spent the afternoon talking with Thea in the main tent, or walking around the camp with the older woman, exchanging stories.

"They were right." Jack said angrily, walking into the tent where Sam sat with Thea and Alal. The colonel dropped his pack heavily to the ground. "I tried in five different places but each time me and that damned animal just ended up right where we'd come in. It didn't make any sense."

"When's the next Shifting?" Sam asked, turning to Thea.

Thea shook her head. "Not until after winter passes, many months from now."

"Damnit!" Jack said loudly. All eyes turned towards him. "Is there any other way back to the gate? Around the rocks maybe?"

"The time it would take to travel around the rocks would be very long," Alal said gravely. "It would be longer than waiting for the next Shifting."

"So what?" Jack asked grumpily. "Carter and I just sit around here for a God knows how long, waiting for the next Shifting?"

"No. It is dangerous to remain in one place during this time of the year," Thea said. "Let alone remain without the protection of a caravan. C'thiu and Chaklah'i roam the desert, among other even more vile things."

"Ooookkkkaayyy…" Jack raised his eyebrows, turning to give Sam a questioning look. "So…"

"You should travel with us," Alal said, sounding almost eager. "You will be welcomed into the tribe…"

"I don't know…" Jack gave Sam another look, this one apprehensive. "I really think we should be trying to find a way back."

"I don't think there is another way back, sir," Sam said. She pulled her radio out of it's vest pocket, pushing the button on it a couple times. "Our radios don't even work, neither does some of the equipment I have with me. The Shifting has got to enact some sort of field over the surface of the planet…Unless we can find a way back to the gate, I don't think there are any other options."

"Perhaps if you journeyed with us to Irem, you would be able to find someone who could help you," Alal suggested.

Sam shrugged in Jack's direction. "It might be our best bet, sir."

* * *

The camp was asleep long before Sam felt ready to. She and Jack had been lent a spare wagon, supplies, and Thul animal, whom Jack had ceremoniously named 'Homer'.

Leaning her back against one of the wagon's broad wheels, Sam stared up at the sky. It was covered in so many stars that there were barely any black parts left.

"Mmmm…did you try this, Carter?" The silence was broken by the sound of Jack's voice. "This meat. I have no idea what it is, but it tastes like steak." He sat down next to Sam, waving a drumstick under her nose.

"That's alright, sir, I ate while you were gone."

"Oh." Jack discarded the soon meatless bone into the sand and looked up at the sky. "Lotsa stars."

"They don't have any artificial lights on this planet," Sam said quietly. "No pollution, nothing to interfere with light reaching the surface."

"Wish I had my telescope with me." Jack craned his head back, looking skyward, one hand absentmindedly picking up fistfuls of sand and letting them fall through his fingers. "What do you think, Carter? Are we gonna get back home soon?"

"I hope so. Cassie needs me…and I had things I was working on…"

"And if we can't? Will it really be that horrible? Think of it as an extended vacation."

"But-"

"Daniel and Teal'c can look after Cassie. Your work can wait."

Sam gave him an odd look. She wasn't entirely sure she liked the way he was talking. "Sir…do you _not_ want us to get home?"

"Honestly, Carter? I'd love to be back home, where there isn't any sand getting down the back of my shirt and where all I have to do is turn on a tap to get water, but…" He sighed heavily, shuffling his feet around a little before crossing his legs. "But I don't know."

Sam sighed, standing up. "Maybe we should get some sleep, sir." She motioned towards the wagon. "There's beds in there."

"Great. You go ahead. I'll be in in a minute."

Sam nodded, smiling lightly. "Goodnight, sir."

" G'night, Carter."


	4. Wood, Wells and Dusted Wagons

A/N – I'd just like to thank everyone for the reviews! they're making me very happy. I've been home sick the past couple days and all I've been doing is laying around watching Stargate and working on this story. If you haven't picked up on this by now, all the chapter names start with an element that somehow relates to the plot. And I mean elements from all sorts of things, everywhere from Chinese mythology to modern elements including plasma and informatics. ;) Oh, and some of the monsters and places that'll start showing up later in the story are borrowed from the "Necronomicon" (look it up on wikipedia or something if you don't know what it is…)

* * *

Chapter 4: Wood; Wells and Dusted Wagons

The group was preparing to leave the next day. Thea came over with some of the light clothing that everyone was wearing and handed them to Sam and Jack, then took Sam by the arm.

"Come, I'll have to show you how to put it on properly."

Standing out of view in the shadow of the wagon, Thea showed Sam how to wrap the long robe like dress around herself, then wrap a long piece of string around her waist and crossed over her chest to hold the garment in place. It was surprisingly comfortable once Thea was finished.

"Thanks."

Thea smiled. "So. Our next task is to find you a Balance."

"Excuse me?" Sam blinked, confused.

"Come." Thea beckoned. "Jack should hear this as well."

Jack was already wearing the same light brown pants and white tunic that the other men wore, and was sitting in the front seat of the wagon, holding Homer's reigns and looking impatient. None of the other wagons seemed quite ready to leave, however.

"What's up?" Jack asked, holding out a hand to help Sam up into the seat, but she beckoned him down.

"I explained to you yesterday how our people live under the principles of balance and unity." Thea said, clasping her hands together as though preparing to launch into a lesson. "The caravan itself, this tribe, is a Unity. To survive in the desert you must be part of a Balance. Until a person matures their Balance is their family. That is, whatever adults are taking care of them."

"And once they grow up…?" Jack folded his arms over his chest, looking half skeptical.

"Once they are grown up they will be in one of two types of Balances. Either a sibling balance, where they live with their brother or sister – and they do not have to be related by blood, only emotion, or," Thea paused, putting her hands on her chest. "They can be in a marriage Balance, where they live with the one they love. The other person who compliments them perfectly."

"Right…so I take it we have to be in Balance then…" Jack shifted nervously, shooting a look at Sam.

"If you are comfortable with it. And you need not say which type of Balance you are in." Thea turned, glancing towards the front of the caravan. "Now, I must hurry back to Alal, it would seem we are ready to go." She turned and hurried off.

Jack shook his head and hopped back up into his seat on the wagon, holding out his hand for Sam. "Come, oh balance of mine."

Sam deliberately didn't take his hand, smirking at him as she pulled herself up into the seat. Homer made a mooing sound and turned his large head to blink at them with wide brown eyes, as though making sure everything was ok. Ahead of them the other wagons were beginning to move, their wide flat wheels leaving deep treads in the sand. Jack reached behind himself into the wagon, pulling out a couple wide brimmed hats.

"We'll probably need these, won't do us any good to get sunburned." He stuck one on top of Sam's heads, then flicked the reigns. Homer started moving forward.

It took Sam a while to get used to the sort of swaying rolling motion of the wagon. She sat up front with Jack for a while, and they tried their best to talk about anything except Earth. It didn't work out too well, and Sam found herself thinking that Jack sounded a bit like a broken record, constantly repeating that they'd get back eventually.

After a couple hours Sam crawled into the back of the wagon to look around a little and see what sort of things Thea had given them. The wagon was large, with two beds along one side and an area for supplies on the other. Cooking utensils, food, clothing, and other household items were strapped in place. Jack had tucked their packs and vests into a storage container at the back. She crawled over to them and took out some of her equipment. She didn't think it would work but at least it would give her something to work on during the journey.

She came out to sit by Jack again as the heat was reaching a peak intensity. She'd barely settled back into place when Thea rode up on the back of one of the Thul.

"Greetings, enjoying the journey so far?" She called as her Thul fell into step with the wagon.

"Oh yeah," Jack leaned around Sam to speak to Thea. "Loving it. All this sand and….sand."

Thea chuckled. "It is a dull ride, I know. But appreciate the beauty of the desert, Jack."

"How far away is Irem?" Sam asked.

"Many weeks journey at this pace," Thea said. "We make stops along the way, however, first of which is at the Yemen Oasis."

The name rung a bell with Sam and she turned to Jack. "Isn't that a place on Earth, sir? Yemen?"

"Yeah. Middle East. Along the Red Sea."

Sam raised her eyebrows.

"The Yemen Oasis is a marvelous place," Thea assured them. "It will be well worth the journey." With a last smile to them she turned and rode off to speak with the people in the other wagons.

* * *

"I could maybe get used to this," Jack said later as they stopped for the night. "I mean, traveling isn't the most ideal way to relax, but the lack of bad guys is nice.

Sam was carrying some of their food with her to the large communal bonfire in the middle of the camp. It seemed that when they could, the people would share food to make sure no one went hungry. "I don't know about that, sir…" She looked towards the edge of the camp, where several young men with slingshots and staffs were patrolling. "it looks like there's something to guard against."

"C'thiu, mostly. And some Chaklah'I too, but they don't come near unless they smell dead meat."

Sam and Jack turned to see a young couple walking next to them, obviously brother and sister by their similar appearances. The young woman had spoke, and her brother nodded in agreement. "We don't usually have problems with the C'thiu either, but if they are hungry they will stalk around the edge of camp, looking for stragglers."

"And what are the…kachoo…exactly?" Jack asked, wrinkling his nose.

The young woman laughed. "C'thiu. They are desert hunters that come out during the months after the Shifting. They are like huge dogs with thin but strong legs and claws and teeth like daggers."

"Sounds pleasant." Jack grimaced and took the container of food from Sam.

" I am Arima, and my brother-balance is Carinth. You two must be Sam and Jack." The young woman said.

"Yeah. So you've heard of us?" Sam said. They'd reached the large fire, and Jack handed their food to the cooks and he and Sam sat with Arima and Carinth beside the flames.

"Uhuh. Thea and Alal made sure everyone knows of you and makes you welcome." Carinth nodded.

"Sweet." Jack leaned back on his hands, turning to Sam. "You know, Carter, this is way too good to be true. What's wrong with this planet? There's got to be something wrong with it."

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, sir."

"Why do you call him sir?" Arima asked, frowning slightly.

Sam blinked. It had become such an involuntary name for Jack now that she didn't even realize she'd called him that. "What? Oh…we're in the military. He's my commanding officer so as a sign of…command, I guess, I have to call him that."

"So you treat him like he's above you?" Arima sounded confused.

Jack chuckled. "I don't know if I'd say that…"

"Thea told us you are a Balance," Carinth said. "As a Balance you are equal. You should call each other by your names."

Sam turned to smirk at Jack, who just looked pissed.

"Look, kid, just let us do things our way, ok?"

Carinth puffed up. "I am twenty years old, I am no longer a child."

"To Jack you are," Arima said placating to her brother. She shook her head and turned to Sam. "Come on, Samantha, if our Balances are going to be foolish we can at least go get some dinner."

Sam stood up with Arima, laughing as Jack and Carinth scrambled to their feet, still bantering away amicably.

* * *

The next day was hotter than the first, and Sam felt worried when she realized they were running low on water. When Alal came riding by at mid morning he told them there would be a well coming up, and that they would be able to break away for a few minutes to get water.

Sam took the empty water containers from the back of the wagon, hopping down when the wagon was a hundred feet from the well. She ran over and began to hoist up the bucket to fill the water.

A noise made her look up, the faint scuffle of feet in the sand, the shink noise of metal. Sam barely had time to register the black clad figure before her when it struck her across the face.

"Away, woman!"

Sam stumbled, looking up. "What?!"

"I said away from my well." The voice was masculine, his face covered by a dark cloth. He clutched a long scimitar in one hand, its blade glinting in the sun.

"I need water." Sam said angrily. She was hot and thirsty and wasn't in the mood for arguing. "If you haven't noticed we're in the middle of the -"

"I will not stand for your insolence, khari woman!" The man lashed out with the blade, slicing it along Sam's side.

At her cry, Jack came running, P90 in hand, a string of curses on his lips. Alal must have been near, for he came running as well, still on his Thul.

"Jack, lower your weapon!" Alal said, dismounting and going to stand near Sam.

"Not until he drops his!" Jack snarls. "And apologizes, that was entirely uncalled for!"

Alal sighed at Jack as though he was being ignorant, then knelt next to Sam, touching her arm lightly. "Samantha, how badly are you injured?"

Sam lifted her hand to stare at the red stain on her robes, wincing slightly. The cut wasn't deep, but it stung like all get out.

"Take your woman away, khari!" the man in black spat.

Alal straightened up. "And you, w'jadi, do not own the water! You would strike down an innocent woman because she is thirsty? A woman who has come to us as a guest from another planet? A woman who is helping to fight the old gods?"

The man shook his head in disgust, then scowled at Jack. Simultaneously they lowered their weapons, still staring at each other.

"Take your woman." The man said. "Take your woman and the water then get out of my sight, khari." He turned and with a flap of his dark robes was gone.

"Who the hell was that son of a bitch?" Jack demanded as he knelt by Sam's side.

"One of the w'jadi scouts. They are a vicious people who roam the desert like us, but they believe in none of the same rules." Alal took a small cup and filled it with water from the well, bringing it over to wash off the wound. "This is not too bad. Take her back to the wagon, Jack and dress the wound. I will bring the water to you, and then we should keep moving. The w'jadi will not be pleased if we tarry."

"And who are the khari?"

"They are us. That is what our people are known as. The khari. Peaceful wanderers. Now move!"

"Right," Jack was helping Sam to her feet. "Think you can walk?"

Sam nodded, hanging onto his arm. They managed to get back to the wagon, and with the med kit in the back, apply a bandage to Sam's wound before rejoining the rest of the caravan.

* * *

"Well, looks like this planet has the same problems as most of the other planets," Sam said after they had stopped for the night. She fingered the bandage on her side thoughtfully. "Fighting between different people."

"Thea didn't sound too happy when we told her. Sounds like they usually are on pretty good terms with the w'jadi."

"Did she say how long it was till we reach the oasis?"

Jack shook his head, handing Sam a bowl of some corn mush type food that smelled like curry. "No. A while though, from what people have been saying. And God knows how long it is until we reach the city…" he shot her a concerned look. "How's the side?"

"Stings. But I'll be ok." She smirked. "I've had worse."

"Yeah. Suppose a little scratch is better than having your consciousness transferred to a computer…"

"Ohhh..." Sam groaned good naturedly. "Computers. I miss 'em already."

Jack playfully punched her in the arm. "It's been a week, Car…Sam. You'll survive. And don't start thinking of 'em now because something tells me no matter how pretty this Irem place is, they probably won't have much by the way of technology."

"Too bad Daniel isn't here," Sam said, scraping the bowl with her spoon. "I'm sure he'd love all this."

* * *

It had taken a while to get used to sleeping in a wagon. The camp was always filled with noises and Sam found herself waking up at the sound of footsteps, heart pounding, until she realized it was just one of the Thul or a someone getting up to answer nature's call.

One time she heard a strange growling and a shouting of the young men and women on guard duty, but by the time she stuck her head out of the wagon all she saw was the shadow of something darting off into the distance.

The two beds in the wagon were really nothing more than thick mattresses on the floor, comfortable enough for all their lumpy looks. Sam and Jack had them laying end to end, so they could sleep with their heads near each other.

"I think I'm going to sleep outside the wagon one of these days. Nights. Whatever." Jack whispered to her through the darkness one night.

"Why?" Sam rolled over, trying not to put pressure on her injured side.

"So I can lay under the stars. I always liked that."

Sam chuckled. "Good night, sir."

"Goodnight,_Samantha_."

"Jonathan."

He sat bolt up right. "What the…"

Sam let out a wicked giggle. "I've seen your personnel file before."

"Yeah, well, you call me that _ever_ again and I swear I'll…"

"You'll what?" She rolled onto her stomach, folding her arms under her chin. "Court martiall me? Good luck with that."

"Sam, go to sleep! That's an order."

"Nynn." She stuck her tongue out at him, and was answered by a loud snore. "Good night."

"Uhuh."

Sam closed her eyes, pulling her blanket up to her chin, content in the thought that maybe she could get used to this after all.


	5. Fire, Desert Rose

Chapter 5: Fire, Desert Rose

They were riding under the cover of clouds. It was the first cloudy day Sam had seen and the desert seemed almost eerie without the blazing sun. The sands were reduced to a flat yellow color and the winds seemed harsh, even though they weren't cold.

She was driving, holding Homer's reigns while the beast trudged after the other wagons, following the tracks in the sand, over small dunes and around the larger ones. Jack, slumped in the seat next to her was asleep, his hat pulled low over his face.

She wondered what he was dreaming.

He walked over the sands, trudging, dragging his feet and above him the thick clouds turned the light to dark, but still the sands seemed to glow, the winds to whip at him, and he could barely keep his tattered shirt closed over his skin.

* * *

_Walking, he came upon the first signs of the caravan. He'd been looking for them for the longest time._

_A wheel. Broken. Smashed. Barely a wheel anymore. _

_A Thul, laying on its side in the sand, its throat ripped open._

_His heart pounded as he looked up, raising his eyes to the sun that was just dipping down behind the dune._

_They lay dead on the sands, all of them, radiating out in a circle, their blood staining the ground from dull yellow to dark red. Jack began to run, fell, twisted to avoid the body and got up again._

_Where was Sam?_

_Suddenly somehow he was in the middle of the mass of bodies, and she lay at his feet. He wanted to say something but couldn't, his lips were glued together, his throat packed shut. All he could do was bend down at her side. _

_Her robes soaked red, she lay on her back, her hair matted to her head and eyes shut. The blood came from the gash across her stomach…her pregnant stomach and Jack laid his hands over the gash as though willing it to heal, willing life back into Sam and the baby…_

* * *

"The hell?!" he sat bolt upright with such force that his hat flopped off and blew under the wagon. Jack gave Sam an odd look, then leapt down to retrieve the hat, jogging, grabbing, then pulling himself back up into the wagon.

Sam gave him a concerned look, she'd seen his body tense in sleep as though alarmed, seen his head jerk from side to side. "Jack? What's wrong?"

"Bad dream," he grumbled, then looked up at the cloudy sky. It was strange to see clouds like that and not smell rain on the wind, but the air was dry and all anyone could feel on it was a faint charge of static electricity.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really. I think all it was was me being worried about things going wrong." Jack replied with a shrug.

"Right…"

The dark clouds soon gave way to bright blue skies and the heat again. Sam found herself growing incredibly tired of the endless sand and dunes and having nothing to do but take turns driving with Jack, so she started running along side the wagon just for the hell of it. At first all she got was odd looks from the others, but soon some of the younger men and women joined her and they started challenging each other to see who could outrun the lead wagons.

One day they came to some huge rock cliffs, their tall faces showing the same veins of naquadah that Sam had noticed in the other rocks.

"Too bad we don't have a way to mine that…" Sam said wistfully as the wagon passed close enough for her to reach out and touch the discolored strip. "There's got to be enough naquadah to build a few more Stargates…"

* * *

Two weeks had passed. Two weeks of traveling, camping, traveling some more, and they still hadn't reached the Yemen Oasis yet. Jack seemed perfectly content with this lifestyle now, accepting it as an early retirement that they'd have to leave soon, but Sam was getting impatient. Of the few pieces of electronic equipment that worked, all of their batteries had died by now and all she was left with was taking some of them apart to try and build some sort of solar battery charger.

One night after the caravan had stopped for dinner, Sam walked over to where Jack sat by the fire to find him writing on some paper he'd gotten from Thea.

"What're you doing?"

Jack looked up. "Oh…Just keeping a journal. I thought Danny-boy might like to read it when we get back." He looked down, scribbling something else on the paper before looking thoughtfully up at the sky. "Or…if we don't get back it could be something amusing for the grandkids to read."

"Huh?" Sam looked over, surprised at the last comment.

"What?" Jack looked at her, just as surprised.

"You said something about grandkids."

"Did I?" Jack looked down at his paper and Sam almost burst out laughing at the embarrassed expression on his face. "It's just a saying though, isn't it?"

"Sure…" Sam tilted her head a little, looking at him, watching him write, his face illuminated by the flickering yellow of the fire.

"What?" he sounded almost annoyed at her for watching him.

"Nothing…" Sam shrugged. "I was just thinking…maybe…"

"Carter." He said sharply, irritably, using her last name for the first time in over a week. "We're going back eventually. Not just back to Earth but back to the way things were. Let's not make that any harder than we have to." He stuck his pen in the pocket of his pants and stood up.

Sam stared at him. "What's gotten into you? You're the one that's been all ready to settle into this life and accept that we're not heading back any time soon."

"That's not changed," Jack replied. "But I also know that we _will_ get home eventually, even if it isn't for a long time."

"So what are you afraid of?" Sam was sure he knew what she was talking about, and if he didn't, well…she'd have to spell it out for him. Again.

"I want to be alone for a bit." Jack grumbled, turning and stalking back off toward their wagon.

* * *

Spirits were lifted the next afternoon when the caravan rounded the end of a dune to see stretching before them not sand but a light covering of plants and clusters of palm trees surrounding a large, clear pool. The Yemen Oasis was about the size of a city block, large enough for the caravan to fill and not be too crowded. The air was pleasant, moist and comfortable after the weeks of dry desert wind. Even Jack, who had been in a bad mood the past couple days, let out a delighted cry as he got off the wagon and dropped down to lay on the soft grass that grew by the water's edge.

People immediately began spreading out and parking their wagons, untying Thul so the animals could drink, stringing up hammocks between the trees or going down to the water to drink and bathe and wash their long dirty clothing.

Jack and Sam were just taking the cover off the wagon to let it air out when Alal and Thea came by on their usual rounds to check on everyone.

"We'll be staying here for a couple days to recuperate," Thea told them. "Our next stop after this is a small trading village halfway between here and Irem, and that village is another week's journey."

There was a celebration that night, with a huge bonfire and a feast of fresh fruits from the plants of the oasis and meat from some deer like animals that had been hunted. There was also music and dancing after dinner, though Sam noticed Jack seemed to be slipping back into his bad mood from earlier as he wandered away from the group to sit with his back against one of the trees by the water's edge.

"Jack?" He didn't look up, even when she knelt next to him. "Jack…are you ok?"

He didn't answer her question. "It's beautiful, isn't it? This oasis. There aren't a whole lot of things that I think are beautiful but…this is definitely one of them."

"What are the other things?" Sam asked.

To her surprise Jack started laughing.

"What?!"

"No no, it's just…this is reminding me of one of those old romance movies. The tough old hard ass military guy says that something is one of the few beautiful things he's ever seen, the young woman asks what the other things are, he turns to her and says 'you' then they make passionate love on the grass until morning."

Sam chuckled, leaning back against the tree. "Ah, well, that would never happen."

"Hmmm?"

"You wouldn't have the stamina to keep going until morning."

"Watch it, Carter…Sam…never insult me near a body of water. I might just throw you in." He glanced towards her and rolled his eyes. "Oh what're you giving me that look for?"

"You _do_ think I'm beautiful, don't you?" Sam was working hard to keep a straight face.

"What kind of a question is that?" Jack narrowed his eyes, suspecting a trap. "Are you flirting with me?"

"What kind of a question is _that_?" Sam mocked. "You're my commanding officer, Sexy, of course I'm not flirting with you."

Jack grabbed her in a headlock and ruffled her hair. "This dry air is getting to your head, Samantha Carter. What would your father say if he heard you?"

Sam made a valiant attempt to wriggle out of his grasp. "He wouldn't say anything. He'd be too busy skinning you alive."

"What'd I do?!"

"Your hand is on my ass."

"Is it?" Now he was just being stupid. Jack craned his head around to see that his arm that wasn't wrapped around Sam had lowered, and the attached hand was now resting on her backside.

Sam glared at him playfully, wiggling her hips a little.

"You know, Sam, if that's an attempt to get me to move my hand, it's not working."

"Good, cus that's not what it was."

Sam scooted up a little closer to his face. Timidly at first she brushed her lips against his, then when his hand found the back of her head she pressed her mouth to his with force enough to bruise. A moment later she caught his lower lip between her teeth, tugging thoughtfully.

"Huh?" he grunted, and Sam pulled back.

"Is there someplace more private?" She whispered. "Further from this?" she gestured up towards the fire and the rest of the group.

"Sure." Jack stood, putting one hand on Sam's waist as they headed away from the music and laughter.

Passing by their wagon, Jack grabbed a blanket from the back and patted Homer on the flank before leading Sam just past the border of the oasis, around to the other side of one of the dunes that flanked it. He spread the blanket and Sam knelt, facing out towards the rolling sands.

"You smell like the desert." Jack murmured as he knelt behind her and pressed his face to the curve of her neck.

The pulsing of the drums from the camp still reached Sam's ears. She reached behind her to rest a hand on Jack's leg. "Is that a good thing?"

"Mhmm."

His hands untied the lacing that held her robes on, letting the light brown cord fall to the blanket. A cool gust of wind gliding over the sand caused the now unhindered fabric to blow back and Sam shivered as the cool air hit her bare skin. Moments later his warm hands were passing down from her shoulders to lightly cup her breasts and she moaned, arching into his touch and letting her head fall back to his shoulder.

Jack bent his head down to kiss her and as he did so she turned so she was facing him, sitting in his lap with her legs on either side of him. She curled her fingers in his short, graying hair and let him explore her skin with his lips for a few long moments. But as she pressed herself down against him she could sense his need and urgency, chuckling lightly as his fingers dug into her skin at the sudden movement.

He shifted, spreading his legs a little wider so she could loosen the closure to his pants and slip her hand inside, pressing it against his hot skin and causing him to hiss through gritted teeth, " – Damnit, Samantha-!"

She reached down, pushing layers of material out of the way, puling away the last and final barrier between them so she could finally feel the heat of his skin against hers and then – she put her hands on his shoulders, giving her leverage to raise up and then sink down onto him – and then finally feel him inside of her.

Her cry was lost on the wind, carried far out into the desert. She rolled her hips, feeling his fingers clutching at the slick skin of her back. She closed her eyes and could only see the curving peaks of the dunes, feel the heat of the sand starting to build up within her as though she'd been charging with it all those weeks.

"Sam…oh God…" He wrapped his arms around her as their bodies found a rhythm, one separate from the still louder sounds from the oasis.

She broke like a wave on rocks, crying out his name for the world to hear before collapsing against him, shuddering. He followed only heartbeats later and then all was still and quiet except for the wind rushing through the sands.

Sam was shivering, the winds cooling the sweat on her back and shoulders. Jack hugged her close, whispering words in her ear that her mind only partially comprehended. They pulled apart and spent a few minutes rearranging clothing before standing up and walking back to the camp.

The fire was still blazing, so they sat by it, wrapping the blanket around their shoulders and cuddling close. Jack slipped an arm around her waist, his eyes half shut, unable to chase certain images out of his mind.

The fire burned lower and lower and soon they were among only a few people still awake. Jack yawned heavily, then stood, holding out a hand to help Sam to her feet.

That night they slept with the cover off the wagon, safe against each other beneath the stars.


	6. Dark, The Scavenger Hoards

Chapter 6: Dark, The Scavenger Hoards

The last few days at the Yemen Oasis were blissful, and Sam finally realized she was starting to relax. Her worries about returning home had somehow retreated to the back of her mind, as did any boredom she'd experienced on the journey. Some of the time she spent with the other women of the caravan, learning about them, the rest doing small tasks to keep herself occupied. Nights were spent with Jack under the stars, away from the camp in the shelter of the dunes

She was almost sad when the time came to leave.

"I wouldn't mind just staying here," Jack said wistfully as they packed up their belongings in the cool hours when the sky was just beginning to lighten but before the sun had risen. "Just you and me…wouldn't be a bad place to stay until the next Shifting."

Sam shook her head. "That's not a good idea. It's not safe to stay in one place if you're not in a large group. It's not safe to be anywhere in this desert if you're not in a large group." She checked the ties of the wagon's cover, making sure they were tight.

"Really?" Jack looked slightly alarmed. "I hope Danny and T made it back alright…"

"Arima said that the creatures are only on this side of the rocks, so I think they'd be ok."

By the time they moved out from the oasis the first rays of the sun were creeping above the horizon, and already the temperature was climbing. Sam settled into the seat, loosely holding onto Homer's reigns and preparing herself for another long day of journeying.

"I was talking to Alal last night," Jack said after a while.

"Yeah?"

"He congratulated me."

Sam turned to look at him, raising her eyebrows. "On what?"

"Something about finally completing my balance," Jack said, chuckling. "I think he meant about us finally…you know."

"Ahuh." Sam smirked, turning to look out at the desert scenery slowly rolling by. They could hear voices and laughter from the other wagons.

"They put so much value in this whole 'balance' thing," Jack said, reaching out to lightly brush his fingers over the bare skin of Sam's arm. "I kinda like it."

"Mmm…me too." Sam nodded in agreement. "It's necessary though…in a place where you have to depend on other people to survive. You need to believe in strong family values."

"Well, I'm not objecting to it at all." Jack grinned, leaning over to kiss the side of her neck.

Sam giggled, grinning as Jack scooted over and rested his head on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her waist.

The sun climbed higher in the sky, and so they continued.

* * *

They stopped that night in an open space along the way. There was no shelter in sight, not even a small dune. For the first time Sam noticed the other people seemed on edge. They all huddled around the small fire they were able to build, and the watch was larger than usual.

Sam went with a few others to go gather more wood for the fire. She shivered as they wandered away from the heat and safety of the camp, further out across the sands in search of fuel.

When nothing leapt at them immediately out of the dark, the small group began to split up to cover more ground. Sam kept her eyes at her feet, looking for pieces of wood. Before long she looked up and all she could see of the others were indistinct shapes in the darkness. She turned to continue searching.

Her eyes fell on something that made her stumble back a few steps in surprise. A carcass, some dead animal that had just given up trying to survive and fallen to the sands. But the dead body wasn't what caught her attention, it was the creature feeding off of it.

At first she thought it was a child, then it straightened up and looked at her. A short body, standing on its hind legs, with long arms that ended in claws. Its face was slightly elongated with wide, dark eyes and when it opened its mouth to snarl at her, Sam could see rows of needle sharp teeth with strings of spittle hanging between them.

Dropping the pieces of wood she'd been carrying, Sam began backing quickly away, but the creature let out another snarl and lunged forward.

She let out a shout for help as she turned to run back towards the camp, but suddenly there was a weight on her back, driving her down. She turned as she fell so that she lay on her back with the creature on top of her. She could smell it's warm, putrid breath that stank of rotting flesh on her face. It swung its clawed hand at her face, but Sam caught the creatures wrist, holding it back.

The animal wasn't very strong, and lept backwards with a yelp when Sam drove her knee sharply up into its gut. She scrambled to her feet, ready for it to lunge again, but a loud shot rang out and the creature fell to the sands, twitching a moment before laying still.

"Sam!" Jack was at her side in a second, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "Oh God…are you alright?"

"Yeah...yeah I'm fine…" Sam was trembling slightly. She leaned against him, resting her hand on his chest as she turned to eye the creature that now lay motionless in the sand. "What was that?"

"A Chaklah'I," said one of the young men that had come running. "They're nocturnal scavengers. They don't usually attack people, but it must have thought you were trying to steal its dinner or something. They're usually only a danger if they're in a large pack. You were lucky."

"Ugly little bastard." Jack grumbled as he stepped forward to collect the wood Sam had dropped. "Come on, lets get back to the fire."

* * *

It seemed that the creatures were following them now. The next stop they made gave Sam her first look at the creature they called C'thiu, a horrible, nasty dog like creature. One went after a couple of Thul, but thanks to Jack's P90 – wich he kept in working order – it was quickly taken care of.

After it lay dead in the sands, Thea called Sam over and handed her some small glass bottles and a sharp knife.

"Come, we must bleed its body."

Sam looked at her questioningly. "What?"

"The blood of the C'thiu has medicinal purposes, it's too valuable to waste. Come. I'll show you how to collect it."

They knelt by the creature's still warm body, and Thea held back its head, ordering Sam to slice its skin across where one vein bulged out. Sam did so, holding the bottle out to catch the thick dark liquid. A scent of rotting eggs rose from the blood, and Sam found herself pursing her lips to try and hold back the bile rising in the back of her throat.

Thea chuckled. "It smells bad now, but you won't be complaining later when it helps to ease the pain of bleeding."

"Sorry…what?"

"Your monthly bleeding." Thea explained. "If you drink this when it starts it will help to alleviate the aches many women experience."

"Oh." Sam smiled weakly. "I've got pills for that."

"Of course." Thea didn't seem too impressed.

* * *

"Has anyone told you how much longer it'll be before our next stop?" Jack asked one night as they sat in their wagon, getting ready for bed by the light of a dim lamp. Outside the thick canvas cover the night winds blew heavy and cold.

"A few more days." Sam was busy untying her robes. "There's another band of rocks and Thea said there's a village in them that's one of our trading stops." She was sitting with her back to him as she let her robes slide off her shoulders and reach for a clean one.

"Good."

Goosebumps were rising on Sam's skin, but she hesitated before putting on her robe. Jack's warm hands settled on her waist as he scooted over to sit behind her, placing a tender kiss on the side of her neck.

"You're still wearing your dog tags." He murmured, lightly touching the chain that lay against her skin.

Sam half turned to face him. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah…habit."

"Same here."

He slid his hand up her side to lightly cup her breast. "I love you so much, baby…I don't ever want to lose what we have." He shifted, wrapping his arms around her, hugging her close.

Sam buried her face in the crook of his neck and shoulder, smelling sweat and sand and that particular thing that was Jack…she didn't want to lose this either. Her greatest fear about returning home was that she would be forced to give up everything that they'd developed.

"They'll try and take it away, if we go back, won't they?" She asked, leaning back a little to give Jack a chance to pull his tunic off over his head.

"I don't know." He sighed, laying down and holding out an arm to her. Sam cuddled close, pulling the blanket over them. "I really don't. We've been gone how long now?"

"Weeks." Sam murmured, her fingers playing over his chest. "A month or two maybe, I'm not really sure." She sighed heavily. "I think I've kinda lost track of time out here."

"Not a bad thing." Jack kissed her temple, pulling her over himself. He reached up, running his fingers through her hair. "I don't think I'll complain too much if we _don't_ ever get back."

"My father…" Sam breathed, her body beginning to tingle from the contact with his. "My brother…"

"You have family back there. I don't." Jack slid his hands down her back, kissing her again. "You're all I have."

"Daniel and Teal'c?"

Jack looked up at her, slightly annoyed at the lack of response to his actions. "As long as I'm with you, I'm happy." He traced her jaw with the pad of his thumb, cupping his hand around the back of her neck. "Sam."

"I know." She smiled and reached out, switching off the lamp. Their eyes adjusted to the dim glow of starlight and moonlight, and by it she leaned down to kiss him. "I do love you."

Jack's smile was visible even in the dark as he pulled Sam down for a more passionate kiss.

* * *

Four days passed since they'd left the oasis. Sam found herself dreaming of the cool waters of the lake, wanting only to get the feeling of sand off her skin. The heat was getting more intense. They were passing over an area that some of the travelers had nicknamed the "sun's anvil"…and now she was seeing why.

"A fair skinned person like you needs to be careful," Thea admonished one night while applying some sort of salve to Sam's sunburned face.

Jack stood by, watching in half amusement, half pity. He reached out and took Sam's hand, holding it to his cheek until Thea was finished.

"You gonna be ok?" He asked as Thea packed up her salves and moved off.

Sam lightly touched her nose, wincing. "Yeah. The salve's helping."

Jack smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Good." He found an un-burned spot on her cheek and kissed it tenderly. "You should remember to wear your hat."

"Yes, sir."

"What?" Jack reached around and playfully swatted at her backside. "Samantha, what'd I tell you about calling me that?"

Sam grinned mischievously. "Only in bed?"

"Nyeh!" Jack stuck his tongue out at her.


	7. Earth, Expected Arrivals

A/N – Hokay. Two questions I seem to be getting from people about this. ONE – Sam being preggers. Answer: You'll find out. TWO – Are we gonna see what Danny and Teal'c are doing? Answer – There's a good reason I'm not talking about what's going on back at the SGC. You'll find out why when Sam and Jack go back home.

* * *

Chapter 7: Earth, Expected Arrivals 

One morning as they set out again, dark clouds scuttled quickly across the sky, and still, as usual, no promise of rain was brought with them. The wind blew gently, but with promises of harder times to come. Sam had been on edge the past few days but couldn't quite put her finger on why.

"There's a storm coming," Jack said near mid-morning. "That's what everyone else is saying."

"Rainstorm?" Sam sounded hopeful, but Jack merely shook his head, chuckling.

"Nope. And they'd laugh at you for suggesting it. Nah…this is just a big honkin' sandstorm…" His brow furrowed slightly. "They're hoping we reach the village before it hits. These storms can get pretty rough, apparently…ripping flesh from bone and all that."

Sam shuddered slightly, making a face.

"You ok?" Jack gave her a concerned look.

"Mmm." Sam nodded, taking a stronger hold of the reigns. "I think it's just the heat."

Jack squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "Go lay down if you have to. I don't need you keeling over or anything."

"I'll be fine," Sam said, leaning over and kissing him for reassurance.

* * *

By the time they arrived at the huge cliffs that housed the village, the winds were beginning to hurl the sands around with painful intensity. The caravan was lead into a large entrance chamber by way of a small tunnel. There the wagons were sheltered by the storm and the Thul could be looked after. 

The village itself was little more than a stop; a trading post for caravans on their ways to or from Irem. It was carved into a series of honeycomb caves in the sides of the cliffs. Only about 20 men and women lived there permanently, they were led by a woman named Mapes, who greeted the caravan as they came into the large dinning chamber.

A long, low table in the middle of the room was set out with a hearty looking feast. Mapes sat at the far end, with Alal on her left and Thea at her right. Sam and Jack moved over to sit next to Thea while the others filled in the rest of the seats.

"I take it these are the off worlders?" Mapes said, looking over Sam and Jack.

"They are." Thea beamed proudly. "They have been with us less than two months and already have learned the ways of the sands. They plan to accompany us to Irem until the next shifting passes."

Everyone was seated by then and started eating, glad to have the first fresh food since the oasis. Jack quickly filled his plate, though Sam spent a few minutes looking around. She was hungry, but not many of the foods looked appetizing to her. She finally settled on a fruit that appeared to be something between an apple and a mango.

"Are you not hungry?" Thea asked a moment later.

Sam shrugged. "I am…I just…don't really feel like eating."

"Are you ill?"

Sam was in the middle of taking another timid bite of the fruit and didn't answer for a moment. "I don't think so…maybe…"

"Perhaps after we finish here you should have our healer Amata check you." Mapes suggested.

"Healer?" Jack hadn't really been paying attention to the conversation. "What's wrong?"

"Probably nothing," Sam said quickly. "I'm just feeling a little under the weather."

* * *

The healer's quarters reminded Sam a little of a new age store, the air heavy with the scent of herbs. There was nothing disturbing about the smell, it actually seemed to have a soothing effect the moment it was inhaled. Amata herself was almost a caricature of the 'healer'. She was an old woman with wispy white hair and wrinkled skin. She directed Sam to lay on a bed in the middle of the room. 

Jack sat nearby, holding Sam's hand.

"Lost of appetite…" Amata murmured, bending over to feel Sam's forehead. "Any aches or pains?"

"Not really…my stomach feels a little funny…"

Amata pursed her lips thoughtfully. She placed her hands on Sam's stomach, applying pressure in a couple different places and asking if it hurt Sam at all, which it didn't.

"Well…" Amata moved away to open a large book on a stand in the corner. "I does not truly appear that you are sick." Without looking up from the book, she asked, "and how long has it been since your last bleeding?"

"Huh? Oh…" Sam shrugged, sitting up. "It was before we came here, I know."

Amata raised her eyes and smiled lightly at Sam. "And how long have you been here?"

"A few…no you're not thinking…" Sam's voice trailed off.

"What?" Jack was staring open mouthed at the two women, uncomprehending. "What's wrong?"

"There is, of course, know way to know for sure this early." Amata said, closing the book and walking back over to Sam. "You will probably be able to tell by the time you reach Irem."

"You don't have any way to test for…this sort of thing?"

Amata shook her head apologetically. "I'm afraid we do not have the resources. Check again with the healers in Irem, they are better equipped."

Jack was looking at Sam, frowning slightly as his thumb brushed over the back of his hand. Sam wasn't sure he understood and was playing dumb, or if he honestly didn't have a clue. Amata watched them both for a moment, then clasped her hands and bowed slightly.

"May the new child bring joy to your balance."

* * *

"Baby..." Jack said, and Sam wasn't sure if he was using his newly adopted pet-name for her or just voicing his astonishment. "This is so beyond crazy…" 

They were in bed for the night, in one of the many small chambers that served as guest rooms. The beds were made out of a carved out ledge in the rock, covered with a thick mattress and proving extremely comfortable. Jack and Sam lay next to each other and Jack had one hand on her stomach.

Sam rested her hand on his forearm. "We don't know for sure yet."

"But you're pretty positive?"

"Yeah."

"Damn…" Jack chuckled. "We're gonna be in so much trouble when we get back."

"I think Hammond will understand."

"I actually meant your dad."

"Oh," Sam rolled over onto her side so she was facing Jack, closing her eyes in the hope that he would stop worrying and go to sleep. "He likes kids."

"Yeah, but something tells me General Carter won't be too happy that I knocked up his daughter."

"Jack. Go. To. Sleep." Sam said, her face buried in his chest.

Sam woke up a couple times in the middle of the night, hearing the noises of people and animals moving in other parts of the caves, or the sounds of the wind blowing through the rocks. Each time she awoke it was difficult to fall back asleep, but as if he could sense her discomfort, Jack would tighten his arm around her and hold her closer to him.

* * *

The next morning they joined Alal and Thea in the dinning hall for breakfast. 

"Are you feeling better this morning, Samantha?" Thea asked as they sat down.

Sam shook her head. "Not really…a little, I suppose."

"Was Amata able to determine what was wrong?"

Sam watched Jack take a piece of flat bread off the tray on the table. He tore off a chunk and offered it to her, but she shook her head. She turned and saw Thea still waiting for an answer to her question. "Oh…well…there's nothing really _wrong_…"

Thea and Alal exchanged a confused look. "Samantha," Alal said, still looking confused. "If there's something wrong we need to know. You're part of the unity that we're all in."

"I don't know for sure but I might be pregnant," Sam said quietly. "Amata said the healers in Irem will be able to tell for sure."

"Do you think it is true?" Thea asked, a smile playing over her weather worn face.

Sam looked to Jack, smiling her answer and nodding slightly. Jack put his arms around her, hugging her close.

Alal chuckled, reaching over to pat Sam's shoulder. "We are happy for you."

* * *

Their stay in the village was shorter than that at the oasis. Soon the caravan was loading up again, preparing to head out on the last leg of the trip before Irem. 

It wasn't as hot, Sam noticed. The air was still uncomfortably dry, but at least the sun's rays didn't seem to be beating down with as much intensity as before. Jack still insisted that she wear the large brimmed hat to keep from getting sunburned, and now that there was the possibility she was pregnant, he insisted on treating her like some sort of delicate object that could shatter any minute.

"I don't see how letting me drive is going to hurt." Sam grumbled, scowling at him. "We don't even know if I'm pregnant for sure…I'm not even showing yet!"

"I know I know, but we're in the middle of the desert!" Jack insisted. "We have to be careful."

"You want me to go all Daniel on you?" Sam said. She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. "The ancient Egyptians _lived_ in a desert and they – "

"Got enslaved by the goa'uld."

"The Abydonians – "

"Also enslaved by the goa'uld."

Sam shook her head. "So you're saying that because I'm pregnant, and because we're in the desert, we're going to be enslaved by the goa'uld?"

"No. I'm saying that I'm being an overprotective soon-to-be father and you'll need to forgive me."

Sam let out a frustrated sigh and leaned back.

An hour of good-natured bickering later and she managed to convince him to let her continue as normal. It would be another solid week before they reached Irem, though Sam was now consoled with the fact she now had something constructive to think about. If Jack would just let her think.

"So if it's a girl, I think - "

"Jack, I love you, sweetheart, but can we please wait to figure out that I'm definitely having a baby before we start naming it?"

Jack pouted, trying to look hurt. "I was just going to say maybe we should name it…Janet…you know? After Fraiser."

"What?" Sam turned to look at him, her eyes wide. She took a deep breath, shaking her head and looking down at her feet. "Jack…I don't…I can't think about her…not now."

"You're still pretty upset about that, aren't you?"

"She was my best friend, of course I'm still upset about it!" Sam snapped. The ideal sense of contentment that she'd carefully constructed after realizing they weren't getting home anytime soon was suddenly melting. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I think you should talk about it." Jack's voice was calm and level. "Sam, I shut myself up after Charlie died. I didn't talk to anyone, and that was probably the worst thing I could have done."

"No…the problem is I'm done talking about it." Sam muttered. "Can we just…not focus on death and focus more on life?"

"Sure…I guess…" Jack looked around. "So…you think the kid'll be born here or back on Earth?"

"I don't know." Sam shrugged. "And either way, I don't really mind."

Jack smirked. "You wouldn't rather be back where Dr. Brightman can pump you full of drugs?"

"It might be interesting to have it the traditional way."

"Whatever." Jack waved one hand dismissively. "I'm the man whose fingers you're going to be breaking while you're having the kid, so don't mind me." He slipped an arm around Sam's waist. "We're gonna be ok."

"Of course we are." Sam smiled at him from under the brim of her hat. Jack chuckled, lifting the hat up a little so he could lean over and kiss her.


	8. Metal, Irem City of Wonders

A/N – Sorry this took so long to post, I've had a crazy busy week! But here it is, Chapter 8. Oh and the frog test I talk about is a real test they used to use for pregnancy….

* * *

Chapter 8: Metal, Irem City of Wonders

"What are you thinking about?"

"Marriage."

"Wow. Wish I hadn't asked."

Jack gave her a wounded look.

"Oh, you're serious."

"Of course I am!" he rolled his eyes. "Marriage is one of the few things in life that I take very seriously."

"So were you thinking about something in particular related to marriage, or just marriage in general?"

Jack chewed his lip thoughtfully for a moment before he replied. "Something specific. We're going to get married, right? When we get back?"

"Why wait?" Sam turned to look at the afternoon scenery – which consisted only of the usual rolling dunes. "I'm sure we could get married once we get to Irem."

"You know what I mean, though. Married so it's legal on our planet."

"Mmm." She turned back to him, a smile playing over her lips. "Of course."

They fell into a companionable silence. Sam sighed quietly. She knew something was bothering Jack. At night he'd toss and turn in his sleep, mumbling incoherently and sometimes waking up in a cold sweat. It was nightmares, she could tell, and obviously ones that deeply disturbed him. But any time she'd ask him about them he'd just smile at her sadly and tell her not to worry about it. The problem was they were getting worse and worse, and Jack's telling her not to worry only made her worry more.

Two nights after their conversation about getting married, Sam was awoken yet again in the middle of the night when Jack rolled over, making an upset sort of whimpering noise and gripping the edge of the blanket.

"Jack." She lightly shook his shoulder, then did the same again, harder, when he didn't wake up the first time.

Finally his eyes flew open and in one swift movement he'd grabbed Sam, hugging her close to him.

"Jack-!" Sam struggled against the bear hug.

"Sorry…" he let her go, watching as she sat back. His eyes were wide and some indefinable emotion lurked behind them.

"Jack, what are you dreaming about?" Sam asked, putting a hand on his arm.

Jack brought both hands up, cupping Sam's face in his hands and staring into her eyes like he hadn't seen her in years. "Bad things."

"Like what?" She leaned into his touch.

"You…dying…" Jack shuddered slightly. "So many ways…I guess I'm just worried that one day they'll come true."

Sam bit her lip. "Have your dreams ever come true before?" she said, trying to reason with him logically. To her surprise, he nodded.

"When we first came here. The first dream I had about you dying. You were pregnant in it."

"Oh." Sam scooted over, leaning against Jack and pulling the blanket up over them both.

"I just don't want to lose you," Jack murmured. He wrapped his arms around her, tightly but gently, and rocked slightly side to side. "My greatest fear these past few years is that you'll get killed in combat, or get some alien disease, or even just get hit by a car…I've been so afraid of that ever since our first mission together."

Sam's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Sure. I might have thought that you were just this annoying scientist that was being put on my team just so we'd have a token female, but I never wanted to see you die." Even through the darkness Sam could see the smirk on his face and knew that he didn't really want to talk about it. "I mean, how long do you honestly think you would have made it if I didn't care whether you lived or died?"

"Jack, you're shutting me out."

"What?"

Sam frowned slightly. "You do this. Whenever we start talking about your feelings you always start making jokes and trying to change the subject. Stop."

"I just told you what my greatest fear is," Jack replied, gently brushing his fingers over her cheek. "What else do you want to talk about?"

"You. I feel like there's so much I don't really know about you." Sam leaned against his chest, tilting her head back so she could look up at his face. "You had a whole life before I met you and I know nothing about it."

"Good. You shouldn't." Jack's voice was almost bitter now. "I don't want to think about it."

Sam pouted at him and Jack sighed, leaning over to kiss her in a way that showed the conversation was over…for now. Mumbling something about stretching his legs Jack crawled out of the wagon. He walked around to the front where Homer lay, his long legs tucked underneath him and eyes half shut. The beast opened his eyes a little more when Jack approached and let out a friendly grunt.

"Hey buddy." Jack smiled and patted Homer's neck. He'd grown to appreciate the large, rather stupid animal. "Sometimes I envy you. Even if you do have bad dreams, you probably aren't too worried about them."

Homer nudged Jack in the chest with his nose, sniffling to see if Jack had brought any treats.

A loud howling noise in the distance caused both Jack and Homer to look up, Homer getting to his feet and making a deep noise of distress that was echoed by the other Thul in the group. Jack could hear people shifting around moments later and sticking their heads out of the tent. The group of people on guard duty were gathering nearby as the howling continued, trying to see what it was.

"Jack?" Sam had gotten out of the wagon and moved over to his side. "What is it?"

"No clue." Jack looked to a young man who was hurrying over. "What's going on, kid?"

"One of the desert predators, we do not know…" he looked worried, and made the motion of firing a gun. "Do you have your weapons, still?"

"Yeah," Jack replied, and before he could do it himself, Sam had hurried around and got their P90's out of the storage bin in the wagon. She handed one to Jack, then looked at him expectantly as though awaiting orders. Jack sighed. "Sam, why don't you give yours to one of the others, you could go try and get some rest."

"Hah." Sam snorted, shaking her head.

"Then stay back and protect the camp."

"Jack-! I'm not going to break. I can go help you find whatever it is."

"Yeah, and that's what I'm worried about." Jack paused as the howling came again, louder this time. "Sam, please. Do this for my sake. For _my_ fragile heart." Sam rolled her eyes, but obliged. Jack and most of the guard group hurried off.

Most of the other travelers had returned to their wagons to comfort frightened children who had been awoken by the howling. A few adults spotted Sam and smiled, comforted by the sight of her carrying her P90, and returned to bed. The camp fell silent again as the noises of Jack and the guards drifted away.

Sam stopped, looking around. She could hear the faint rushing of the sands in the wind, the occasional grunt of a Thul. There was something else there, but she couldn't quite identify it. But maybe it was just her imagination.

A prickling, almost warm sensation ran up her spine and Sam immediately recognized it, spinning around. It was the tell-tale sign that a goa'uld (or if she was luck, a tok'ra) was nearby. But she heard nothing, and had been around the other travelers long enough to know that it wasn't any of them.

Then she heard a Thul scream. It was a strange noise, reminding her a little of the time when her family's cat had caught a rabbit and the poor animal had screamed with all its might until Sam and her brother chased their cat away. Seconds later she could hear some children screaming as well.

Running as fast as she could across the sand towards the noise, Sam spotted a huge, hulking shape silhouetted against the star-studded sky. It had, moments ago, been holding a Thul, but the pack beast had managed to pull away.

Sam aimed and fired a few shots off at the hulking shape, but far from injuring it, the bullets only seemed to make it angry.

With a snarl it turned and started lumbering towards Sam, slowly, but silently all the same. The prickling warmth on her spine grew in intensity and she realized it must be coming from the creature. Sam raised her P90, forcing herself to remain calm as she opened a stream of bullets onto the creature. It stumbled once, twice, three times before finally falling to the sand, nearly at Sam's feet. She stood there staring down at it in a daze as Jack and the others came running.

"Whoo!" Jack shouted, punching the air with one fist when he saw the dead creature on the ground and Sam still standing. "Hell yeah, _that's_ my woman!" He hurried to her side. "Sam, you ok?"

"Fine." Sam said, surprising even herself when she managed a smile. "I think I'm getting used to this whole desert demon thing…but Jack…"

"Hmm?"

"That creature…I sensed it the same way I sense goa'uld or tok'ra." Sam was eyeing the dead carcass with a look that was half trepidation and half curiosity.

A faint frown creased Jack's forehead as he put an arm around her protectively. "Huh. Well, you said there was naquadah on this planet. Maybe the creature's got some in its blood or something. Or maybe it's some weird adaptation of a goa'uld."

The travelers that had been awoken by the attack, which was most of them, gathered in the center of the camp. Thea was there, and said that they should leave as early as possible the next morning. It was getting more and more dangerous to stop for any length of time.

* * *

The next couple days passed without incident. They continued traveling, working their way closer and closer to the city. The weather continued to get less and less comfortable, and the day when they finally crossed a large dune and saw the city of Irem spread out before them, it was drizzling lightly, grey and freezing.

The city itself was impressive, and probably would have been more so if everyone had been less miserable. Towering grey walls surrounded it, with four gates at each of the cardinal directions. The caravan was let in through the western gate by some very disheveled looking guards.

Carefully navigating their wagons through the twisting streets, they made their way to a place along the northern wall where a towering building stood, obviously an apartment of some sort, with stalls in back for the Thul and places for the wagons. Everyone unloaded their belongings and took them inside to what appeared to be the main eating room, for it had several large fireplaces along the walls and one long table down the middle.

Everyone sat down and Thea stood in front to address the group.

"We have made it, everyone, after a hard year," she began. "We've suffered losses greater than those in the past, we have gained a few members and certainly more experience. Let us hope that our time in the city is relaxing." She dismissed them and everyone stood up and went over to Alal to get their "room assignments".

* * *

"This reminds me of my first apartment." Jack said, using his sleeve to clean a spot off on the window so he could see out.

"It's bigger than I expected," Sam was gazing around their room. A large canopied bed stood in one corner, a stove and eating area across the room from it. There was a large fireplace and sitting area as well, with various shelves and cupboards in the walls for storage. "Thea said that with the stove and fireplace going these rooms are nice to live in, even in winter time."

"You know, if these guys only spend the winter here, I'm surprised these rooms are so clean," Jack commented.

"Other people live here during the rest of the year. Other trading caravans probably."

"Mmmm." Jack walked over to Sam, who was putting their clothing away, and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her close and nuzzling his face against her hair. "We should find out where the doctor is so we can get you checked out."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, we could go do that in a bit. I'm sure Alal or Thea would be able to point us in the right direction."

They went downstairs a little while later to find the fireplaces in the main hall blazing cheerfully and a few people seated at the table chattering and eating. Alal was amongst them and stood up when he saw Jack and Sam walking over.

"And how are you two settling in?" he asked, smiling his usual cheerful smile.

"Great," Jack replied. "Hey, so where could we find the doctor?"

"Ah yes," Alal nodded. "Sam needs to see one. Come, I'll show you. It's not far." He motioned for them to follow him and the three headed towards the entrance, grabbing jackets on the way.

After a brief walk down one of the streets, they came to a large building with the smell of herbs emanating from it even on such a dreary day. Alal led them inside, where they were greeted by an older man.

"Ah, come in come in out of the cold," he said, ushering them inside. "It's such a dreary day, isn't it? Ah! Alal, so your caravan made it today after all."

"Yes, thank the skies we have," Alal said, nodding. He gestured towards Sam and Jack. "This is Sam and Jack, the two newest members of our group. You two, this is Healer Oberon."

"Pleased to meet you," Jack said, nodding to Oberon.

Alal said his goodbyes then, telling Sam and Jack he'd see them back at the apartment. Oberon clasped his hands together, turning back to them.

"So what is it I can do for you?"

"Well, I think I might be pregnant," Sam said tentatively. "But the healer at our last stop didn't have the resources to tell for sure."

"I see," Oberon nodded. "Well, I most certainly will be able to test you here. It'll be one day before we know for sure, but the procedure is simple enough." He beckoned and they followed him further into the building, into a large infirmary with beds lining the walls. Oberon went over to a shelf along one wall and produced a small sealed cup, handing it to Sam. "There is a bathroom down the hall, I just need a urine sample."

Sam wiggled her eyebrows at Jack before taking the cup and heading down the hall. Jack sat down on one of the beds, folding his hands in his lap. Oberon smiled at him.

"She is a beautiful woman. You are lucky to be balanced with her."

"Yeah," Jack smiled sentimentally. "She…means a lot to me."

"I can tell."

Sam returned then and handed the cup to Oberon.

"So how do you do this?" Jack asked, sounding curious to know how people who were none too technologically advanced were able to do a pregnancy test.

"Come see." Oberon crossed the room to a large worktable, where a tank of what turned out to be frogs sat. He took one out and put it in a smaller tank on it's own. "We inject the female frog with the urine. If, within one day, she has produced eggs, then we will know that Sam is pregnant."

"I've heard of that before," Sam commented, watching as Oberon set to work. "They also used to use rabbits or mice for the test."

"They don't lay eggs." Jack pointed out, scowling.

"I know," Sam chuckled. "With those they'd have to kill the rabbit or mouse and examine it's ovaries. The frog test is better because the animal doesn't die."

"And it doesn't cost as much," Oberon said with a chuckle. He replaced the frog into its cage and turned to the bucket of water next to the table, washing his hands thoroughly. "Now, you may return home. Come back tomorrow evening and I will be able to give you the results of the test."

"Thanks." Jack smiled.

They got their jackets and headed out. The sun was setting, the dark sky growing darker, and the wind picking up. Sam shivered and pressed closer, thinking that she couldn't wait until she was safe and warm back in their room with the fire blazing and Jack to snuggle up with….


	9. Spirit, the Journey Home

Chapter 9: Spirit, the Journey Home

As the months continued the weather grew colder and people retreated indoors. Only the young and healthy ventured out once it began snowing, and as Jack pointed out, that didn't include Sam.

"I'm going to go crazy if you keep me locked up in here!" She complained one afternoon. Jack had just returned from collecting some dried fruits and meats, and Sam was curled up in a chair near the stove, reading a book that Thea had given her.

Jack sighed, kneeling by the side of her chair and leaning over to kiss her cheek. "You're not going to go crazy." He reached out and put a hand on the slight swell of her belly. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." Sam set her book aside and turned to him.

"Here, I stopped at the healer's…" Jack fumbled in his pocket, then pulled out a small leather pouch. "He gave me some herbs. You can use them to make a tonic that'll help with morning sickness when it comes."

"Thanks." Sam took it, but looked down at her lap sadly.

Jack sighed, standing up. He gently lifted Sam into his arms then sat, holding her on his lap. "Sam…what's wrong?"

"I want to go home," Sam said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm tired of this. I'm tired of living like this and I'm bored out of my skull."

"I know, I know." Jack ran his hand over her hair. "But if we leave now we'll make it back to the rocks months before the next shifting. Alal said we have to wait for the worst part of winter to pass, then we can head back."

Sam nodded, closing her eyes and snuggling tighter to Jack. "I wonder what they're doing back home," she murmured. "If they've sent out search parties."

"I don't know. But we'll be back before you know it." Jack put a hand under her chin, tilting it up to lightly kiss her on the lips. "And hey, at least we have each other."

* * *

One morning, early, before the sun had risen, Jack woke suddenly, not knowing why. He propped himself up on one elbow, frowning around the dim room. Seeing nothing wrong he lay back down and wrapped an arm around Sam, but the moment his hand touched her skin he realized she was far too warm.

He sat back up again, lighting a candle and setting it on the bedside table before putting a hand to her forehead, then gently shaking her shoulder. "Sam…Sam, honey, wake up."

"Hmmm…" Sam opened her eyes, squinting up at him.

Jack was sitting fully upright now, his hand on her forehead. "You're really warm. It feels like you're running a fever."

"I was feeling a little off last night…" Sam admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jack was already out of bed, pulling his pants and a warmer tunic on, then moving around to Sam's side of the bed. "I'm going to go get one of the kids to run bring the healer. I'll be back in two minutes."

"M'kay." Sam settled back against the pillows.

Half an hour later Oberon was bending over Sam while a tonic of some sort cooked on the stove and Jack hovered nearby. Finally the old healer straightened up and pulled Jack to the corner of the room farthest from the bed.

"She is asleep," Oberon said quietly, holding a finger to his lips.

"Is she going to be ok?" Jack asked.

Oberon sighed, turning to look back at Sam and touching his fingertips together. "I do not know. It is a common enough ailment though being with child has weakened her…" he looked to Jack. "I have seen women in her condition die from it."

"But there's something you can do, right? Medicine, whatever?"

"I will try my best, I can promise nothing more."

"Jack…?"

Jack turned and hurried over to the bed where Sam was trying to sit up. "Hey, take it easy. You've got a bit of a bug."

"Yeah, I can tell…" Sam slumped weakly against the pillow, shivering slightly despite the sweat beading on her forehead. "Jack…you have to take me back…home…"

"My dear," Oberon was standing on the other side of the bed with a wet compress, which he lay gently on Sam's forehead. "You are in no state to travel. That would take away any chance of you recovering…"

But Jack saw what Sam meant. He looked up. "Look, if I can get her back home we've got medicine that can help her…"

"You need to get to the great ring?" Oberon said, and Jack nodded. Oberon shook his head. "No. It would take you weeks to journey back there, a trip that is insanely dangerous to go on your own. It would be too hard for her, if the traveling didn't kill her the perils would…and if her illness grew worse while you were traveling, there wouldn't be much you'd be able to do."

"But she's going to die if I don't get her home!" Jack's eyes were wide with the panic he refused to let show in his voice. "There's got to be a faster way to get home."

"Well, the river that runs through Irem passes down through the rocks and close to the area of the great ring." Oberon said. "But any captain would be mad to set sail in high winter!"

Jack ignored him and leaned over, kissing Sam gently on the lips. "I'll be back soon, I promise. I'm going to get us a way home." He straightened up. "Oberon, take care of her. I'll be as quick as I can." He grabbed his coat and hurried out of the room.

* * *

It was freezing cold outside, but at least the winds had died down. Jack pulled his heavy coat closer about him as he headed towards the middle of the city and the docks. There were many ships moored along the side of the river, but the only life seemed to be in a nearby tavern, so that's where he headed.

Jack walked over to the bar where the bartender was busy cleaning off silver tankards. "Give me an ale and if you know of any ship captain crazy enough to sail in this weather…I'd be happy to be pointed to one."

The bartender shrugged, slamming a large mug down in front of Jack.

" 'Ere, brother, I'd be willing to sail just about any time, for the right price, of course," said a man to Jack's left. "But my question is why you'd want to sail in the middle of winter. It can be downright brutal."

"My…wife is sick. I need to get her somewhere where they can help her." Jack said.

The man raised his eyebrows. "Well if Oberon can't, I dunno anyone on this planet what could."

"Don't you worry about that," Jack grunted. "All I need to know is if you can get us to the great ring."

"Sure, but it's a two week journey at full pace. What _I_ need to know is if you'll be able to come up with the payment."

"I'm with a trading caravan, I'm sure I can come up with something."

"Ah," the man took a sip of his drink. "Which one?"

"Alal and Thea's."

"Yes, yes I know them. Trustworthy people." The man smiled. "I think we can do business. The names Captain Derrek by the way."

"Jack O'Neill." Jack shook Derrek's hand.

"Now, let us enjoy a friendly drink," Derrek said. "Then we can go discuss a price."

"Good plan."

* * *

"I do not think this is a good plan!" Oberon said, wringing his hands as he watched Jack help Sam to her feet.

Jack looked over at Oberon. "I'm not just going to sit around and wait for Sam to get better when I could be doing something about it."

"I know I know…" Oberon said with a sigh. He watched Darrek carry the bags out of the room and downstairs while Jack bundled Sam up. "Just…take care of yourselves, you hear?"

Sam managed a weak smile, reaching out and gripping Oberon's hand. "We will, don't worry."

"Good." Oberon smiled at them. "My best wishes and blessings go with you…I'm sure your child will be beautiful and healthy."

Sam was about to thank him, but she was overwhelmed by a coughing fit. Jack and Oberon exchanged a worried glance but the coughing stopped and Sam insisted that she would be fine. Darrek helped Jack get Sam outside and into a carriage that was waiting to take them to the docks. The winter winds were still there, but were less now than they had been before.

Alal and Thea came out to say goodbye and wish them luck. Jack felt a slight pang at leaving their new friends behind, but he felt even more of a pang when he looked at Sam and saw how pale she was. After a goodbye that was a little longer than he would have liked, Jack climbed in next to Sam and they took off to the docks and Darrek's ship.

* * *

It was surprisingly warm and comfortable down in the cabin, and because they were on a river and not the ocean the sailing was smooth.

"You don't have to stay down here with me," Sam said, about a day after they had left Irem. She was sitting up in bed, looking slightly better and eating some soup.

"I want to stay down here with you." Jack was sitting cross legged on the floor next to the bed, chin resting on his arms as he looked up at Sam. "I want to be here if you need me."

Sam sighed, laying down on her side and reaching out to put a hand on Jack's head, running her fingers through his hair. "Things are going to be so different when we go back, aren't they?"

"Yeah." Jack nodded. "I mean, we've been gone for…six months…they'll have to accept that things will have changed between us."

"What if they think we're dead?"

Jack grinned. "Then we'll make Danny spazz out with joy."

"What if…" Sam was suddenly struck with a dark thought that seemed to rise out of no where. "What if they're dead? Daniel…or Teal'c…or my dad…what if someone's died while we were gone and they just couldn't get ahold of us?"

"Sam," Jack stood then sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling Sam into his arms. "Don't think like that. I'm sure aside from being worried sick about us everything's fine back home."

Sam looked up at him, nodding. She put one hand to his cheek and kissed him lightly on the mouth, and it took all of Jack's self-restraint not to full out respond to the kiss. Sam noticed his hesitation and scowled.

"What?"

"Sam…you're pregnant and sick. I don't think –"

"I don't have mono, Jack! I'm not going to contaminate you."

Jack rolled his eyes. "That's not what I'm worried about."

"Then what?"

"I just don't want to hurt you." He kissed her forehead. "Now get some rest. I'm going to go check with Derrek and see how much further we have to go."

Days passed, the high winter winds picked up and everyone but the essential crew retreated to the warm cabins below deck. To everyone's relief Sam's condition was steadily improving and three days after they left Irem she was left with slight congestion and a mile fever that passed quickly enough.

At night when the stoves were turned down to conserve fuel and the cold winds would find any gap in the hull to slip in, Jack would snuggle close to Sam beneath the covers, his arms wrapped around her. It was in these times that he realized he would do anything to keep Sam there, in his arms, able to be loved by him…

One day when the weather was mild and Sam was feeling a lot better, Jack bundled her up in thick firs and took her to the deck to get some fresh air. They stood together by the railing, watching the scenery skimming by along the shores. Derrek joined them, looking cheerful and optimistic.

"Good to see you feelin' better, missus." He said, smiling. "Look there, in the distance. Those dark shapes. Those are the rocks, the ones you can only pass after the winter shifting."

"So after that how much longer until the gate?" Jack asked. "I mean…the great ring."

" 'bout a day. And I'm 'specting easy sailing, the winds are with us." Derrek tilted his head up to the sky, smiling as the wind ruffled his hair. "You'll be wherever you need to go in no time."

That night Sam lay on the bed, Jack at her side, both of their hands resting on her stomach.

"I was a little worried that our baby wouldn't ever see Earth…" Sam admitted quietly.

"But it will," Jack murmured, rubbing his thumb over soft skin. "And maybe someday we'll bring it back here to meet Thea and Alal and Oberon…and see Irem…"

"Strange how quickly we adapted."

"Yeah. I'm not going to say I won't miss this place." Jack sighed, rolling onto his back and folding his arms behind his head.

"I know. But I miss our friends…and I'm sure they're missing us."

Jack laughed. "Yeah, we'll probably get back and find that all the VCR's on the base are busted because you weren't around to fix them."

Sam snorted, rolling her eyes. "Or we'll get back and find the Earth completely decimated by the goa'uld because you weren't there to annoy the crap out of them and chase them off."

"Sam." It was Jack's turn for an eye roll. "What'd I say about being pessimistic?"

"No more sex if I keep it up?"

"Sure. So for both our sakes, stop." He returned to laying on his side, nuzzling his face against her neck. "Goodnight."

"Night."

* * *

The river didn't run directly past the gate, so Jack and Sam were forced to walk for a good ten minutes. Any worries Jack had had about Sam's condition preventing her from making the journey in one piece were quickly shattered, however, and she seemed glad to be getting home finally.

"I can't believe it…" Sam said as they stood before the DHD and Jack fished his radio and GDO out of his bag. "After all this time of thinking we wouldn't get to go home…"

"I know." Jack leaned over and kissed her, then dialed the gate. They both watched as the wormhole stabilized, then Jack sent their iris code through, waited for the confirmation that came surprisingly quickly, and stepped through the gate.

Hammond was waiting at the bottom of the ramp as they came through, looking slightly surprised. "Colonel…Major…."

"Miss us?" Jack asked, grinning.

Hammond frowned. "Why aren't you in uniform?"

Jack stared at him blankly. "Sir…we're missing for months and the first thing you're worried about is why we're not in uniform?"

"Months? Colonel, what are you talking about? When Teal'c brought Dr. Jackson back two hours ago he said you two weren't planning to come back for another few days. We were just about to check in with you." The general shook his head. "What are you talking about 'months' ?"


	10. Informatics, New Life

A/N – Happy Holidays everybody:D Hope you like this final chapter…I couldn't really think of a smash bang ending so I made it soppy and adorable.

* * *

Chapter 10: Informatics, New Life

"Sir, that's not possible!" Jack could feel a sort of panic rising in his veins, the kind that meant something was horribly, terribly wrong. "We were gone for almost a year..."

Hammond's scowl deepened. "Briefing room, both of you. Now."

"Sir, I need to get to the infirmary," Sam said, her fingers still clutching tightly to Jack's arm.

"Very well," Hammond nodded. "But you, Colonel, I want to talk to."

Jack was about to protest, but Sam shook her head, giving him a reassuring nod as an airman stepped forward to escort her to the infirmary. Jack sighed and, brushing sand from the folds of his loose clothing, followed Hammond up to the briefing room.

Jack barely had time to get through the first quarter of his story before Dr. Werner came striding in, looking baffled. Hammond looked up as he entered.

"Doctor?"

"Sir…Major Carter is about six months pregnant," Werner said, his eyes widening slightly. "Which she most definitely _wasn't_ during her pre-mission exam."

Jack grinned sheepishly as both pairs of eyes turned towards him. "Yeah…that would be my fault."

"Colonel!" Hammond barked.

"General, if you'd just let me finish my story…?"

Grumbling something about frat regs, Hammond folded his hands and glowered at Jack.

Sam joined them a little while later, having taken a quick shower and changed into clean clothes. From the looks of it she'd had to take a shirt that was a few sizes too big to fit over her stomach, and as she slipped into the chair next to Jack she murmured that she'd have to get a maternity uniform now.

"Major." Hammond nodded at her. "I see Dr. Werner wasn't lying…" Now that she was out of the flowing desert robes, the bulge of Sam's stomach was quite apparent.

"Do you believe us now?" Jack asked.

"I suppose I have to," Hammond said, sighing. "But I don't understand it. How is this possible?"

"Well…I have a theory…" Sam said slowly. "The planet could have its own, possibly naturally occurring time dilation field." Leaning forward somewhat awkwardly, she made a circular gesture with her hands. "The magma in a planet's mantel is always rotating, creating magnetic fields over the surface of the planet. Now the rocks that marked where the Shiftings occurred had great amounts of naquadah in them. If that was combined with some other elements it could, basically, create huge magnetic disturbances that quite literally disrupt the flow of time."

"That's my girl." Jack said, chuckling and shaking his head. "Would you mind repeating that in English, Sam?"

"Magnets." Sam said, grinning.

"Right." Jack leaned back in his chair. "Well, General, there you have it."

"Mhmm." Hammond nodded, his eyes flicking between the two. "Now I think we've got quite a big problem on our hands, here."

"Very big," Jack agreed, shooting Sam a playful look. "No way the guys in Washington are gonna buy this one."

"We'll just have to explain it to them the best we can. Now, I'm sure the both of you are ready for some downtime. We won't be sending SG-1 out again until Dr. Jackson gets better and we find a replacement for Major Carter." Hammond said. He nodded to them both. "Dismissed."

Jack got to his feet, then helped Sam up. Arm in arm they headed down to the infirmary to say hi to Daniel, whom they found sitting up in bed, slightly woozy from the drugs.

"Hey guys, you're back." Daniel then squinted at Sam, looking surprised and more then a little confused. "Sam…how'd you get so…"

"Fat?" Jack supplied, and Sam punched him in the arm. "Ow. She's pregnant, Danny."

"Pregnant…?" The archaeologist blinked at them. "Er…congratulations. That was fast…"

"Not really." Sam said, sitting in a chair that one of the nurses had brought over for her. "We were on that planet for about eight months or so. Time dilation field."

"No kidding…"

"Yeah." Jack stuck his hands in his pockets. "Something to do with magnets. It wasn't all that bad though, we met some really nice folks, learned some new ways of life…"

Daniel was staring at them through half lidded eyes. "So who's the father?"

"That would be me."

"Wow. What'd Hammond say about that?"

Jack shrugged. "Not much he could say, or do. He's gonna talk to the people in Washington so I don't get court martialled for getting my 2IC preggers."

Daniel chuckled. "Jack…" he shook his head.

"Whaaaat?!" Jack pouted slightly. "I was stuck on a desert planet with a gorgeous blond. Honestly, what did you expect me to do?"

"Jack, you've been stuck places with Sam before."

"Antarctica doesn't count. I was near death."

"Still."

Jack shrugged, then reached over to ruffle Daniel's hair. "Ok, Danny-boy, we'll let you get some sleep now. I think you need it."

Daniel mumbled something incoherently, snuggling down under his covers some more.

* * *

Later that night Jack and Sam had driven to Jack's house and sat curled up on the couch together.

"This is so weird." Jack said, running his fingers through Sam's hair. "We've been gone for ages and yet everyone is acting like we were only gone for a couple days. You're pregnant and we haven't gotten ready…Jesus, we're not even married!"

"Does it matter that much?" Sam asked, yawning.

"Well, no, but it's the principle of the thing. We don't have a nursery set up, haven't picked out a name…"

Sam looked up at him, laughing quietly.

"What?!"

"It's going to be ok, Jack, stop worrying."

"Huh." Jack wrapped both arms around her. "Usually when someone tells me to stop worrying….holy crap."

"What?" Sam sat up, alarmed.

"No no…it's just…your dad doesn't know yet, does he?"

"No…but we can tell him tomorrow…" Sam said, still frowning.

Jack groaned and seemed to be melting down into the couch. "He's gonna kill me…I swear…he's gonna take a shotgun and blow my head off."

"No he won't." Sam said.

"Will too."

"Will not."

"Will too."

"Will not."

"Will Farrell."

Sam blinked a couple times in slow succession then grabbed a pillow and threw it at Jack, who collapsed against the arm of the couch in peels of laughter.

"ooooh boy, I need to go to sleep."

"Mnmm. I'd say so." Sam stood up and stretched. "I'm looking forward to a real bed that doesn't smell like hay."

Jack got up as well, nodding. "Me too." He offered an arm to Sam. "To bed then, my lady?"

"Yeah yeah." Sam linked her arm through his. She realized suddenly that she was about to sleep with Jack in _his_ bed and it didn't seem that strange to her…how many times had she fantasized about this? Now it was actually happening and, aside from the fact that they'd been sleeping together for several months, it seemed so perfectly right…

* * *

Jacob Carter sat in one of the chairs in the briefing room, tapping his foot against the leg of the table and having an absent minded chat with Selmak. They'd gotten news that Sam had returned from her latest mission last week (Jacob himself had been off doing some Tok'ra spying) , only something wasn't quite right. That's all Hammond had left it at.

The door opened and Jack strode in, hands in his pockets. No Sam. Damnit.

"_Maybe she's just busy_," Selmak suggested.

Maybe.

"Jack, how are you?" Jacob said, standing up to shake Jack's hand.

"I'm great," Jack beamed a little too brightly at him, then sat down. "And how are you, Jake? Doing well, I hope. Not too stressed or...angry…"

Jacob folded his arms over his chest. "Ok, Jack, what's going on?"

"Well…funny thing…" Jack said, chuckling nervously.

"Jack…?"

"Ok, well I'm just going to come right out and tell you," Jack said, making a gesture with one hand. "Your daughter's pregnant."

"_Jacob, your blood pressure!"_

"_Be quiet."_

Jacob stared at the younger man, trying to think of something to say. "What?"

"Sam's gonna have a baby."

"And why isn't she telling me this?"

"B-because she's at home taking it easy." Jack could see the anger building in the other man and was half ready to dive for cover if need be.

"And what, exactly, does this all have to do with you?" Jacob placed both hands flat on the table, leaning forward towards Jack.

"_Jacob, calm down. Deep breaths now."_

"_Selmak, be quiet!"_

"_No. You need to calm down."_

"_Fine."_

"Well…" Jack continued, completely unaware of the running dialog between host and symbiot. "Funny story with that too…see I kinda got her pregnant."

Jacob stared at him and Jack could have sworn his eyes flashed. "I'm going to shoot you, Jack."

"Now, Jake, we want to keep Sam happy, right? SO let's try the not shooting Jack O'Neill thing."

Jacob sat down heavily, still glaring at Jack. "How? Why? When did this happen?"

With a deep breath, Jack launched into what felt like a fiftieth retelling of what had happened while on the planet.

* * *

It was just after two in the afternoon, and Daniel and Teal'c arrived at the hospital near Jack's house. Jack was sitting in the waiting room, looking quite haggard and strung out.

"Hey, Jack." Daniel said, pulling up a chair and sitting next to him. "How's Sam?"

"The doctor's just doing some final checks on her and the baby," Jack said. "They seem fine though." He ran a hand through his hair. "Give me Ba'al and Anubis at the same time and I'm sure it wouldn't be quite as horrible as that…"

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "I am sure Major Carter suffered far more than you, O'Neill."

"Hah." Jack held out one arm that had a bandage around it. "She bit me!"

"Was it not worth it, however?" The large jaffa asked.

The corners of Jack's eyes crinkled up in a smile. "Yeah. I've got a little girl that looks just like her mom."

"Good thing too." Daniel muttered and Jack glared at him.

The doctor came out a moment later to announce that all was well and both Sam and the baby were fast asleep. The three other members of SG-1 got to their feet and tiptoed quietly into the room where Sam was laying fast asleep on the bed. A tiny baby lay sleeping in the bassinet near by, golden fuzz covering the top of her head.

Jack smiled as Teal'c and Daniel cooed over the baby. This was defiantly worth it. Worth the fighting, worth the desert, the being trapped, lectured and bitten. Worth everything they'd been through. It came from the strangest combination of circumstances, but somehow Jack O'Neill found himself with a family again.

Sam opened her eyes, smiling at her friends and child, then looking over and positively beaming at Jack.

Oh yeah. This was _so_ worth it.


End file.
